It all Started With a Rescue
by The Greatest of These is Love
Summary: Tonks saves Harry from himself and helps him to become who he was meant to be. HarryTonks DISCONTINUED ADOPTED BY Magikmaster02
1. Rescue

**AN: Welcome to my second fanfic. Let's cut to the chase. This will be a HarryTonks pairing with no smut. That's right, a HarryTonks that is not about them having sex and deciding that they are in love. I will try at least once a week, maybe twice, and if anyone wants to beta, I would appreciate it. Thank You.**

**Thoughts = **_Italics_

Rescue

"Alright, everyone, here are the schedules for Harry's guard duty. Mundungus, you have Mondays and Wednesdays. Nymphadora, you have-"

"It's Tonks, Albus," interrupted a now glowering Metamorphmagus. Currently Nymphadora Tonks was sitting at a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. This was the first one since the Department of Mysteries fiasco. Since then, there had been one less member in the group. Sirius Black had died while defending his Godson Harry. At this meeting, they were reorganizing the guard system around Harry and Albus Dumbledore had seemingly forgotten that Tonks hated her first name. Her mum had to have been crazy. Nymphadora?

"I prefer my last name or Headmaster, Nymphadora."

"And I prefer my last name as well, Oh Supreme Mugwump." Dumbledore was taken aback by this. Tonks was more upset that he had thought if her tone was anything to go by.

"I shall endeavor to remember, Miss Tonks, though I must say that your agitation seems somewhat strong for this."

"You and I both know that's not why I'm angry at you. You won't let me talk to Harry!"

Dumbledore just sighed. This argument had been going on since the Department of Mysteries. Tonks wanted to talk with Harry to make sure he was alright after losing his Godfather. Dumbledore merely told her that the situation was under control. He couldn't tell the Order his real reasons. Harry was a weapon and if he grew attached to someone, he wouldn't be able to die when he fought the Dark Lord. That would be a problem if he lived. He could pose a threat to the Headmaster.

"Miss Tonks, seeing Harry would do little good. He is stronger than you think. He has weathered hard times before."

"Sure he has, he fought a Basilisk and Voldemort for crying out loud," she said, ignoring the shivers. "The problem is not dangerous situations. He has guilt problems. He still blames himself terrible for what happened to the Weasely girl. He hates himself bedcause he thinks it was his fault she got hurt. Merlin knows what would have happened if she died. What happened to Sirius was worse. He did go into to danger because of Harry, and he died! He died, Dumbledore! The closest thing Harry has ever had to a father was killed defending him and you think Harry is fine! He's locked up with those muggles for Merlin's sake! Bloody fine that is. I'm out of here. It's time for my guard cycle."

And with a loud crack she was. There was silence. Nymphadora Tonks had just chewed out Albus Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard alive, and left. Dumbledore broke the silence.

"As I was saying, Bill can you guard Harry on……"

--Scene Change—

Tonks was standing outside of Number Four Privet Drive. The Dursely's weren't home so if she went in, it was just Harry. _Should I go in? Dumbledore said not to, but I care about Harry and I need to see if he's alright. That's it. Dumbledore can sod off. I'm going to see harry._ Tonks did care about Harry. The boy, no, he had seen too much for that to be true, man had seen more and done more in his fifteen years than most did in their entire lives. He had fought killed, led, followed and still managed to be a caring man who would do anything for his friends. But what attracted Tonks to him the most was that he understood what it was like to have a label hanging over your head. She had gone through school with all the boys wanting to date her to make use of her morphing abilities. She was treated like a whore. No one cared about the real her. Even some members of the Order like Molly Weasely thought of her as a "scarlet woman" because of her abilities, but not Harry. He didn't think like that because he understood. Harry had to deal with being the boy-who-lived. And, she was pretty sure that the hero needed her.

Taking a deep breath, the metamorphmagus walked up to the house and knocked on the door. No one answered. _That's strange. Normally Harry would answer._ After a few more minutes and a few more knocks, Tonks decided to go on in.

"Harry? Harry?" No one answered. When she got to the kitchen she she saw a note on the table. _I really shouldn't._

She did.

Part of her wished she hadn't.

To whoever finds this,

This is the end. By the time someone finds this I will probably be dead. I'm going to kill myself. People keep getting hurt because of me. Ginny was possessed by Tom Riddle for being my best mate's sister. Sirius died because I was a bloody idiot and my friends were hurt for trying to help me. I'm sorry that I'm leaving Remus alone, but he probably won't miss me. It's my fault his best friend is dead. Ron and Hermione will be fine. My only regret is that I never told Tonks how I felt. I thought Voldemort would come after her. That is, if she even felt something for me. But who would?

Goodbye.

The blood drained from her face. Harry was going to kill himself. He might have already done it and he thought didn't feel anything for him. She ran up the stairs to the room Harry stayed in. She walked in to the sight of Harry strung up by his belt.

Tonks fell to her knees. The only man she had really felt for, loved even, had killed himself because he thought everyone would be better off without him. The self-sacrificing git! Tears came to her eyes and just as she was about to completely lose control, she heard a small retching noise from the boy in front of her.

Harry was still alive.

Quick as a flash, the auror whipped out her want and fired of a cutting curse.

_Diffindo!_

Harry fell to the floor as Tonks ran to him. She cast a healing spell on his throat.

"Come on, Come on! Harry, please be alright. You have to be! You have to be alive dammit!"

Answered by silence the metamorph grabbed the still form in front of her and wept. Then, she heard a hoarse rasping voice come from Harry.

"Why….do…you….care?"

Tears of joy streaming down her face she pulled him to her and whispered to him,

"Because I love you, you great prat!"

And with that she pulled his face to hers and kissed him.

**So what do you guys think? I know it's kinda dark for a HarryTonks fic, but it will get a lot lighter later on. This is short because I thought it was a good place to stop. Next chapter will switch to following Harry's view. I just thought that this was a realistic reaction to his situation. I'm sorry if I offend anyone. Please read and review!**


	2. Escape

**Hey guys, welcome to chapter two of ****It all Started With a Rescue****. I sad I'd try to get it up by Saturday and I am true to my word. I am blown away by the response to this first chapter. I have almost five hundred views, 10 reviews, 10 favorites, and 18 alerts. This doesn't count the people that me a favorite author. Thanks guys. This chapter will be more set up than action. Definitely some fluff. Hope you enjoy.**

Escape

The world stopped for Tonks as she kissed the boy in front of her. _Merlin I have wanted to do this for so long._ She had just saved his life and told him she loved him, so she thought she was entitiled. The kiss wasn't hard or passionate. Harry was too weak for that, but it was amazing anyway. She felt strangely complete, just holding and kissing Harry. _This is what I've wanted for so long._

She slowly pulled away and looked down at Harry. He tried to speak, but she shushed him by gently placing a finger on his lips.

"Not now, love. Your throat's still not haled and I'd rather talk to you at my place than this rubbish heap."

He nodded tiredly as Tonks grabbed on to him. With a loud CRACK they were gone. The next thing Harry knew, he was looking at a small but nice apartment he assumed must belong Tonks. Said metamorph led him over to the couch and sat him down gently.

"I'm going to get you something to drink and help your throat, and then we can talk." With this, she went over to the kitchen, presumably to get the beverage.

_She really cares._ Harry thought. _She really cares and I almost killed myself. Hell, she was the first one to see me. Not Ron or Hermione, my supposed best friends. Neither of them thought to go against Dumbles, but Tonks did. She loves me. How is that possible?_

Harry was jarred from his thoughts as Tonks plopped down on the couch next to him.

"Here's a cup of hot chocolate. It's enchanted to sooth your throat. Take a few sips."

Harry took the cup warily. Everything he'd had to drink for medicine had tasted horrible, but he trusted Tonks and took a sip. It tasted great and he felt his throat go almost back to normal.

"Why did you come for me?" he asked with only a slight rasp.

"You needed me." She said simply, as if it was completely normal. However, she noticed the slight slump in his shoulders as he answered her.

"Oh, is that it?" Then it clicked. He thought she hadn't meant it when she said he loved him!

"Harry, I meant what I said. I do love you. Never doubt it." The words came out as a plea.

"But why would you want me? I'm just a teenager who gets in a lot of trouble and had a screwed up childhood."

"Harry, you really need to stop insulting yourself. Your kind, generous, loyal to your friends, and Merlin knows how powerful. No, don't you deny it. You made a corporeal patronus in third year. I can't even get more than a mist, but that's not why I love you Har. It's…it's because you understand."

"Understand what?" He couldn't think of anything that applied.

"To grow up with a label. The instant you entered the magical world, people have expected you to be something your not. They think that you're some kind of god and many think you're an arrogant attention seeking prat."

"I still don't see ho-" That was as far as he got when she cut him off.

"I am a metamorphmagus. I change anything about my body and become anyone I want." To demonstrate the point she morphed her hare into several interesting shades that Harry hadn't seen on hair before.

"That's pretty cool and probably damn useful."

"It is and it can be, but it only caused problems in school." She sighed and looked down. "I was treated like a whore, Harry. All the guys I dated only wanted me for my abilities. By the end of the first date, without fail, they asked me to change into someone. Some creep asked for his mom once. Anyway, do you get it now? We both know what it's like for people to assume that we'll fit into their picture of who we should be."

Harry was floored. She was right. He did understand. It was one of the reasons they connected so well. But he still had one question.

"But how did you know you loved me?" Harry asked. Tonks was surprised by the urgency in his voice. Didn't he know what love felt like?

"They say that you never know what you have until it's gone, Har." Tears began to fall from Tonks' eyes. "I thought you were dead. I thought that I wouldn't ever be able to talk to you again, or see you. I thought it was over. I realized that my life wasn't worth living without you there. The truth is that if you hadn't coughed, I would have joined you shortly."

"Never say that! I'm not worth it! No one should die because of me. Too many have already. Everyone I cared about. Everyone I..loved." Then Tonks understood. The reasons Harry had tried to kill himself, the reason for his urgency. He was terrified of loving Tonks. He was terrified that something would happen to her.

"Harry, look at me. Look at me. I am not going to leave you. I love you. You don't have to be afraid for me. Please, just tell me how you feel about me."

Silence reigned for a moment in the apartment. Harry was at war with himself. On one hand, he didn't want to admit that he loved Tonks. Everyone he loved died. On the other hand, he knew that he couldn't fight and the thought that his rejection might hurt her made his choice painfully obvious. Finally all of the emotion, the pain and the love that had built up that day burst forth in Harry. He grabbed onto Tonks desperately.

"I love you, Tonks. I love you so much. Please just tell me again that you love me. I need to know. I need to here those words again!"

"I do, Har. Never doubt it."

The two just lay there on the couch holding each other for what seemed like eternity. They wished it could go on forever. After what must have been hours, Harry let out a yawn.

"Come on, Harry. Let's get you to bed."

Grumbling slightly, the boy-who-lived allowed himself to be hauled upright and led down the hall. Tonks helped into bed and was about to leave when Harry grabbed her wrist.

"Please, stay with me. I need to know this isn't a dream; that when I wake up you'll still be here."

"Sure Harry, I won't leave you."

And so the Tonks laid down and slept in her loves arms, perfectly content, while Harry slept in a state of bliss with the most amazing girl in the world sleeping in each others arms. Nothing could touch them. No one could ruin this. They were free. They had escaped.

**End chapter two. I know this is short, but it seemed like a good stopping place. I think I'll have another one out later today or tomorrow, but no promises. I set up a forum for people to discuss the stories, and I still need a beta, so anyone interested should let me know. Until next time. Read and Review.**


	3. Planning

**Whew! Chapter 3. This will be the fastest update yet. It will probably the fastest update ever for me, so do not expect this often. Last chapter was to explain the relationship between Tonks and Harry. Most people don't explain the reasons well and I hope that I did a good job. This chapter will be the next day and them trying to figure out what the heck they are going to do now. I still need a beta. Enjoy**

Planning

Harry woke up after the best sleep of his life to what was arguably the best morning of his life. He had his arms wrapped around the love of his life, Nymphadora Tonks. He tightened his grip around her as she snuggled in closer to his chest. It wasn't a dream. It was real. The woman of his dreams was in love with him and was sleeping in his arms. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head as she began to stir.

"Good morning, beautiful." He said as she stretched out and yawned. She looked up and gave Harry a quick kiss on the lips.

"Good morning yourself, Har. You know, I could get used to waking up like this. If you're not careful I might keep this sleeping arrangement," she said.

"You promise?" asked Harry with a hopeful note in his voice. He was quickly answered with another kiss.

"As long as you want me love," she said, causing a huge grin to spread over Harry's face.

"Then you had best get up soon or we'll never leave this spot."

"Oh so you want to sleep with me then?" she said coyly, hoping to throw Harry off his guard. She was shocked by a quick rejoinder.

"In case you didn't notice, we already did, and unless you want to wait a while, I suggest you take the shower before me." Convinced to ruffle Harry's feathers, Tonks make a parting jab as she got up.

"Oh so you want to see me in the shower, eh?" She walked off chuckling at her success as a blushing Harry started to get ready for the day. An hour later, they met in the kitchen. As Tonks walked in, Harry grabbed her and pulled her into a searing kiss. At first, Tonks was surprised, but she soon returned the kiss eagerly running her hands through Harry's hair. He pulled close and the kiss turned into a passionate display of their feelings for each other. (Not sex you perverts) As they slowly pulled away, Tonks rested against Harry's chest.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for Har?" she said to a grinning Harry.

"That was my thank you for everything you've done for me since yesterday. You saved me in more ways than one and I am incredibly grateful. Plus, did you really think that I'd let you off after that shower comment?" He grinned as she blushed. She had thought that she'd won. Boy was she wrong.

"So a thank you was it?" she asked, smiling coyly. "Does mean it was a one time thing?"

"Oh no," he said. "I've just started saying thank you." And with that the kiss was back in full swing. After several minutes they pulled apart, but Tonks just pulled Harry closer.

"Your welcome, but you saved me too in a way. And, I love you. Never forget it. Never doubt it." Harry just nuzzled her cheek.

"Wouldn't dream of it, love. Now let's eat breakfast. We have some things we need to talk about."

Tonks nodded and began to eat. (While sitting in Harry's lap of course.) She was slightly confused though. What did Harry think they needed to talk about? She just shrugged. Harry would tell her after breakfast. After they finished, they went over to the couch again and sat down.

"So what's up, Harry?"

"There are a few issues we need to talk about. The first is our relationship. Wait. Wait. I am not ending it or anything like that. I meant, like telling everyone else. The other won't really care for it. Mrs. Weasely especially. They probably think the age gap is too big."

"Well, Har, the best way to put this would be bugger them. We love each other and there is no way I'm giving you up because the others think it's weird. We're telling them; because there is no way I am going to be able to stay away from you until we're alone."

"Good," Harry said, somewhat relieved. "That's what I was thinking. The second thing is our living arrangements. I would love to stay here, but Dumbledore won't agree to that."

Tonks just looked at him.

"Harry dear, I disobeyed old Dumble's orders to come get you. I could care less what he says about you staying here."

"But what about your position in the Order and-"

She leaned over and cut off his objections by kissing him tenderly. She conveyed exactly what she felt for him and why Dumbledore could go to hell. After breaking the kiss she looked up.

"That answer your questions?" she asked. When he nodded she continued. "I don't think we can trust Dumbledore anymore. He should have known better than to leave you alone after what happened to Sirius. Then there was his order saying that you couldn't go to Sirius' will reading-"

"What? He thinks I'm going to stay home when they are reading the last message from the closest thing I had to a father? That's it. We should break ties with him. We don't really need the Order anyway."

Tonks leaned over and hugged him to her.

"I know you're angry, hon, but I think we should pretend to go along with him at least until the will reading in a month. We can still get information from the Order and there are probably some things at Grimmauld Place that can be useful. And you can probably visit your friends. The Weasely's are there you know."

"I guess you're right, Nymmy," he said. He grinned at the glare his girlfriend was giving him. "That was the other thing I wanted to talk with you about. What can I call you besides Tonks? I kind of like Nym."

The glare faded as her face turned thoughtful.

"Hm, I guess Nym is good. It's short and doesn't make me sound like a sexual deviant like Nymph or Nymphie."

"Nym it is then. So what are we going to do today?"

Just before Tonks could say something, Harry grinned. It wasn't the nice playful grin that the Gryffindor usually displayed. This grin showed why the Hat wanted him in Slytherin. He had a plan.

"Ooooh Nym. I know what we're going to do today." He said in a sing-song voice.

Tonks caught on quick and matched his grin tooth for tooth.

"Are we getting back at the others? I could go for some pranking."

Her only answer was a nod.

**Oh man. Three chapters in one week. Do not expect this often folks. I plan on going twice a week unless I feel compelled to write which happens. Please, Read and Review.**


	4. Reaction

**Welcome to Chapter Four. You guys are great readers. I have 23 review; 2,269 hits; 1 C2; 23 Favs and 43 alerts. Amazing for a story that still has less than 10,000 words. Anyway, this chapter is epic. Amazingly epic. One thing to keep in mind though is that for the purpose of this story, Charlie is good friends with Tonks and is closer to Harry than usuallt seen in the books, movies, or other fics. Thank you.**

Reaction

CRACK

Harry and Tonks appeared suddenly outside a dilapidated set of homes as one marked "Number Twelve" seemed to force itself in between the others.

"You ready for this, Har?" asked the grinning young metamorph. Despite her cheerful exterior, she was a little worried about her boyfriend. This was the first time he was going to be back in his Godfather's house since his death. Tonks was worried he might be more sullen about it that excited by the prank they had concocted. Luckily, her worries were unfounded.

"Of course I am. Time to do Sirius proud. He would have loved to be in on this."

Tonks agreed. The old prankster would have jumped at the chance to do this. This was part revenge, part tribute to the old dog.

They walked up to the door and entered to ancestral home of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black and were greeted with a plethora of insults having to do with blood purity.

"Oh, who woke the old bat up again? How do you lot put up this all the time? Charlie and I came for a visit and I think I speak for both of us when I say that I don't think we can take much more."

Harry grinned as he recognized the voice. Bill Weasely was here with his brother Charlie. The whole clan was here. This was going to be so much fun. His revelry was interrupted as his girlfriend hollered out,

"It's Tonks and I brought Harry with me. He has something he wants to tell all of you."

At the mention of Harry's name it sounded like everyone in the house stood up and made a dash for the front door.

"Why's he here?"

"I thought Dumbledore said he was supposed to stay with his family?"

"Nymphadora, it was totally irresponsible of you to bring him here!"

"Arrogant twit couldn't stay out of the spotlight I suppose."

The words to describe how the pair was feeling were "sensory overload."

"QUIET!" Tonks yelled. Instantly the noise stopped. "If you want answers, go to the sitting room. Harry is very brave to be telling you all of this and you are not making it any easier. Now go!"(**I want everyone who has figured out the prank from this line to stop reading and message me with your answer before you continue!**)

Harry looked questioningly at Tonks when he noticed how loud she was. She caught the look and mouthed "sonorous." He nodded and followed the crowd into the rather spacious sitting room of the mansion. As hewalked into the middle of the room, Harry adopted a nervous expression and appeared reluctant to speak. The chatter in the room ceased as he began to speak.

"He-hello everyone. Well this is kind of hard to say. Um, I have something I need to tell all of you."

Tonks was fighting hard to keep a straight face as Harry was speaking. This was to be great!

"Well, there's no easy way to say this. You know how the Durselys kept me in a closet? Well, that's the not the only one I was in. I'm gay."

Silence met this declaration. Ron, lacking any tact whatsoever, had his jaw firmly attached to the floor. Hermione was trying to look understanding, while the reactions of the others ranged from shock to acceptance to revulsion. Then the shouting started.

"He's gay? But he's been my best mate for years!"

"Honestly Ronald, can be any more tactless? We need to be supportive."

To transcribe any more of that conversion would be a waste of both my writing skills and your valuable time. The same goes for the identities of the speakers. Suffice it to say that the yelling was joined by others and mass hilarity ensued.

After several minutes of arguing, someone finally thought to take a look at the boy in question, only to see him rolling around on the floor, dying of laughter with Tonks.

"You actually fell for it! Damn I owe Tonks a galleon. You all really thought I was gay! This is too much."

The first people to understand what was going were the twins. They looked at each other, grinned, and joined the pair already on the floor. Ron's jaw was on the floor again and Hermione was fuming. The rest of the males (yes, even Snape) were sporting grins and chuckling. The female folk weren't quite as amused, but they held their tongues.

Eventually, Harry Tonks calmed down and helped each other to their feet. Snape was the first to break the silence.

"Did you just come here to amuse yourself or did you really want to tell us something?" he said in his monotone, though he couldn't keep a smidge of amusement out of his voice. Harry just looked at him a moment before replying.

"I think it would be better to show you." He quickly turned and kissed Tonks on the mouth in front of everyone. The move caught the pinkette by surprise. This wasn't part of the original plan, but she loved this unpredictable side of Harry's. A quick-study, she eagerly returned the kiss. She was surprised again when she felt Harry's tongue against her mouth. She opened her mouth as the kiss deepened further, moaning into Harry. She pressed herself up against him, trying to show him how he made her feel. Audience be damned! Finally, for nuisance of breathing, the two pulled apart, but not before Harry managed to whisper in her ear.

"I love you, never forget it; never doubt it."

Still a little woozy from what was easily the best kiss of her life, Tonks remained holding onto Harry as the reactions started. The twins wolf-whistled loudly, with grins on their faces. Charlie and Bill were grinning madly. Ron's jaw was….Do I have to say it? Hermione was looking like she was about to pop and was joined in her position by the Weasely women. Molly broke the almost silence.

"Nymphadora Tonks! You should be ashamed of yourself! How could you seduce Harry? He is just a child. You scarlet woman. Harry, get over here. I'm sorry we let her guard you. Has she taken advantage of you?" All through this, she was missing the glares Harry was sending at her. He had had enough.

"Mrs. Weasley! How dare you? How dare you insult Nym like that? She would never "take advantage of me" as you put it. So what if she's older than me? Let's talk experience. Have you ever fought Death Eaters, Mrs. Weasley? Have you ever killed? Have you ever looked Voldemort in the eyes or dueled him? You can't even say his bloody name and you expect to have the authority, the right and the experience to tell me how to live my life, Mrs. Weasely? You're not my mum and you never will be. I love Tonks and I'm pretty sure she feels the same way."

As Harry finished his tirade, Tonks grabbed him and gave a hard kiss.

"I do. Never forget it. Never doubt it."

Now, most people would have had the sense to back down by this point. As Harry was speaking, magic crackled in the air around him. This wasn't that unusual. Harry was a powerful wizard in his own right. What was surprising was that as soon he said that he loved Tonks, the magic changed. It ceased to be violent and dangerous. It changed into more of a powerful warming aura. As I said, most people would have backed down. The magic practically told them that Harry knew what he was doing. Unfortunately, Molly was not one of those people.

"Harry Potter, how dare you speak to me that way? I know what's best for you dear. Now get away from that strumpet! You should be seeing a noce girl like Ginny."

"That's enough mum!" Everyone turned and looked in shock at Charlie Weasley. He looked almost as angry as Harry had been.

"Tonks is like a sister to me. We went through Hogwarts together. We looked out for each other. She is one of the best women it has been my pleasure to have known. She's family, and no one, not even you, mum, insults my family! If she's found happiness with Harry, then I'm all for it." He stood up proudly, grinned at Harry and walked over to stand next to the man and his friend Tonks.

The twins stood next. The looks on their faces were more serious than anyone had ever seen them before.

"Mum, Charlie's right. We don't know Tonks that well, but if Harry loves her, than she's the best around. We're with you mate." Two more people stood next to the boy-who lived.

Bill got up to say his piece next.

"I'm not so good with words, mum, but their right about this. I stand with family."

As Bill walked over to Harry; Ron, who had been deep in thought, finally got up.

"Mum, Their right. Harry's my best mate. He's my brother in anything but blood. His life's been hell so far and if Tonks makes him happy then I'll do anything I can to make sure it stays that way. I betrayed Harry once. It won't happen again."

Ron walked over to his best mate, who patted him on the back. The rest of the room (excluding Snape) chose their sides. Everyone but Dumbledore, Molly, Hermione and Ginny stood with Harry. Molly was fuming.

"What do you mean you side with family? I'm your mother. You will no longer associate with Harry or Tonks. They are obviously bad influences on you all. Is that clear?"

Charlie was the one that spoke up.

"Oh you've made yourself perfectly clear." He paused and saw the look of triumph on Molly Weasely's face. "You've made it perfectly clear that you are petty and vile. You have called on us to disown Harry, who is as much one of my brothers as Ron or the twins. He saved Ginny from a basilisk in his second year, he's helped Ron become someone we're all proud of and he's obviously made my other sister extremely happy. You have made it clear that…I can't in good conscience call you my mother anymore. Harry, with your permission, may I take your surname? Brother?"

There was shocked silence as Charlie knelt in front of Harry. He was quickly followed by the rest of the Weasely boys. Harry was completely overwhelmed. They were going to abandon their family for him. What did that mean? Tonks noticed the look on his face and started to explain to him in an awed whisper.

"Harry, this is huge. They want to join your House. If you let them, they will become your family members and retainers. This is how Noble magic houses are formed. Potter will become a Noble house. Nothing like this has happened for centuries, love. I would suggest you do it. If you refuse, they'll be shamed in society."

This hit Harry like a lightning bolt. He would be a Lord; a Lord with no money, but a Lord nonetheless. He decided to go for it.

"If you're sure, then I would be honored to accept you into my house."

Relieved grins played on all of the faces before him. However, Dumbledore finally decided to speak.

"Harry, my boy, I don't think this is the best course of action. It would draw too much attention to you and you hardly have the money to fund a House. Let's put this matter aside."

Inwardly Dumbledore was fuming. This could ruin everything. The relationship with Tonks wasn't a good thing for his plans, but it was manageable. If, however, Harry went through with this, he would get access to his vaults. The oaths of loyalty would cause him to have a magical emancipation. Being of age, he could see how much money he had and who was using it. While it was true that the Potters weren't a Noble House, they were _very_ wealthy and the aged Headmaster had used the money to fund his projects. He could be imprisoned.

"Actually, Headmaster, I think I'll go through with it. How about we make it official at Gringotts when we all attend Sirius' will reading?"

This met with agreement from everyone who mattered. Then, changing gears, Harry decided to question Hermione about her stance against him. He understood Ginny. She had a crush on him and didn't want him with Tonks. Hermione's resistance surprised him. So did her answer.

"She's too old for you, Harry. She's also a little clumsy. She's obviously poisoned you against Dumbledore's wisdom. You should date someone who's closer to your age and smarter."

Harry was floored. He kind of expected her to side with Dumbles on everything, but she was jealous. He thought she like Ron. _Oh well. She won't be happy with for a while. There goes the Golden Trio._

"Hermione, Tonks and I love each other. I'm not leaving her. Right now I'm tired from all of this excitement and I want to go get some rest. Goodnight, everyone."

And with a crack he and Tonks were gone.

**So what did you think? I personally like my prank. What did you guys think? Anyway, I personally hate Molly's character and I decided to make Ron the loyal one once. If one of them splits it's usually him. Take that cliché! Read and Review.**

**Expect an update on Friday-Saturday!**


	5. Never Doubt

**Wow. Before I posted this, there were more than 3,500 hits, 33 reviews, 30 favs and 57 alerts. Amazing. Ok, this chapter is pushing the deadline I told you guys. The reason is that I am technically not supposed to be on the computer until Wednesday, so I am sneaking the writing in when I can. Hope you guys like the chapter. If you do, then drop a review. I respond to all of the ones besides "good job" or something like that.**

**One more thing, I just realized that I never wrote a disclaimer. I don't own Harry Potter. JKR does. If I did, Dumbledore would be straight, Sirius would have lived, and Harry would get Tonks.**

Never Doubt

CRACK

Harry and Tonks appeared in the metamorph's apartment. Exhaling loudly, Harry slumped onto the couch and was soon joined by the pin haired love of his life resting her head on his chest. He was beat emotionally, mentally and physically. He still couldn't believe that Mrs. Weasley had gone so far. She had called Tonks a whore. Though Tonks hid it well, Harry could tell that it hurt her. He pulled her closer to him protectively. No one would hurt her ever again. Not if he had anything to say about it. His girlfriend seemed to notice his seriousness.

"What's wrong, love?"

"I should be asking you that question. You haven't said a word since Mrs. Weasley said those terrible things. Mrs. Weasley hurt you. Don't try to deny it. I saw the look on your face when she called you a whore. You know that I don't think that, right?"

Tonks' face turned downcast.

"It's not that, Har. It's that she thought I would take advantage of you. That you and I don't really care for each other. I love you, Harry, please don't leave!" She turned, grabbed him started sobbing into his chest. She held on to him like the world was about to end. Harry just sat there in shock.

"What are you talking about Nym? I'm not going anywhere. Why would you think that?" he said in a soothing voice, rubbing her back in slow circles. After a moment she made a large sniff and looked up at him.

"The closest thing you have to a mother told you to stop seeing me. She's right. I'm too old. Why would you want me when you could have someone your own age? Ginny and Hermione obviously want you. You've them for years. How can I compete with that?" She burrowed her head into Harry's chest as she sobbed.

"Sh sh, love. There's nothing to compete with. Look at me. Come on, look at me." Slowly, Tonks lifter her head and looked at Harry. "There is nothing to compete with. I don't care about them. You are everything I need. They couldn't possibly hope to understand me like you do. They haven't experienced nearly enough and I hope they never have to. You say you're too old? They aren't mature enough to help me with my problems or protect themselves. I worry about people, Tonks. I can stupidly selfless and if I thought that the woman I love was put in more danger because of me, I wouldn't be able to stand it. You're and Auror, and a damn good one. You can look after yourself. But none of these matter, Nym. The only reason that should make a difference is that I love you and I will never let you go. Do you understand that?"

Tonks looked up and nodded somewhat warily. Harry sighed inwardly. How could he convince her that he was saying what he felt? Then, it him like a thunderbolt.

"Nym, do you know legilimincy?" Tonks looked at him a little strangely but answered slowly.

"Of course. It's standard Auror training. Why?"

"I want to show you something. Use it on me." Tonks looked shocked.

"But your mind is your most private place. You can't hide anything."

"I know that, but I want to show you something." Tonks just nodded and pulled out her wand.

_Legilimens_

Harry felt a pushing in his mind and he gave in. It felt odd to let another enter his mind. He found the presence and concentrated on it. In a few moments, he found himself in a place that looked like a messy office building with Tonks. She didn't seem to notice him. He walked over slowly and called out,

"Wotcher, Tonks!"

With an eep, she jumped and whirled around standing face to face with a grinning and chuckling Harry.

"Hello, love. Scared you, didn't I?"

"Harry, how are you in here? Only accomplished Occlumens can enter their own mindscape. How did you learn to do this?" Harry's smile vanished quickly.

"No one taught me. I didn't know it was anything special. I had to do this to survive. You can't feel the world in here." Tonks didn't get it.

"What do you mean?" Harry just sighed and began to lead her down the hallway in his mind towards a room with a black door on it.

"I think it would be better to just show you." With that, Harry opened the door and pulled Tonks in. Tonks couldn't believe what she saw. It seemed that she saw everything from what must have been Harry's point of view.

--Flashback—

"_Boy, get out here this instant!" shouted an angry Vernon Dursley. A five year old Harry reluctantly appeared from his cupboard under the stairs. To stay in there would just make what was about to happen worse. Uncle Vernon always used a belt when he was like this._

"_Well don't just stand there you freak! Get over here! I have surprise for you."_

_He pulled his hand from behind his back to reveal iron poker for the fire place. Harry wished he could run away. He knew what it was for. This was going to be his worst beating yet. But he knew he couldn't run. No one would help him. They'd just bring him back here for twice the beatings. Instead, he just moved toward his bloated uncle. The man began to viciously beat him with the piece of metal. The pain was excruciating. After a few strokes he began to see red. He thought he was about to lose his mind when he felt a rush of energy and then everything changed. The pain was gone. He was standing in a hallway with lots of doors._

--End Flashback—

Tonks was shocked to find herself once again in Harry's regular mindscape. When she saw Harry, she jumped on him and cried into his chest.

"The pain. It was so terrible. What was that rush of energy? What happened?"

"I didn't know it then, but that was my first accidental magic. My magic knew that I would snap if the pain continued so it forced me into my own mind to save me. I've been able to come here ever since. But this isn't why I brought you here. Come on."

He grabbed her hand and led he down the hallway past dozens of different doors. All of them were different colors, shapes, and sizes. They seemed to be getting bigger as they went down the hall. Finally they stopped in front of the largest door yet. The name over the door said simply love.

"Nym, inside this door is the love I have for other people. Until I met you, it was the smallest door here. I wonder what could have caused the change," he said sarcastically.

He opened the huge door, at least the size of the front of a small house, like it was nothing. Golden light shot out from around the edges and as they entered, they were nearly blinded by it. Inside, there were three more doors. Two of them were closed. They marked James and Lilly Potter. What drew Tonks' attention was the third door. This door was nearly as big as the original one and was standing wide open. The light was coming from that one.

"Why is that one open, Har?"

He chuckled and said, "Just try closing it."

She cocked her head and did just that. Well, she tried at least. The door wouldn't budge. It wasn't because the door was heavy. Tonks could feel that much, but it seemed that the light itself wouldn't allow the door to close. She walked back to Harry with a questioning look on her face. He smiled at her.

"Have you ever wondered why Snape shows so little emotion at all? He managed to close just about every door in his mind. I tried to do it too. I thought the pain might stop. Before I finished I met you. That's when this door appeared. I wanted to close it. I figured out what it meant. I also thought that you'd never want me. I managed to get it about halfway shut once. The next day I tried to kill myself. You know that part. Then you said you loved me. That was when this happened. The light just started streaming out of there. The door was shot open and I thought this place would explode. You can figure out the rest."

Tonks was struck dumb. The light represented how he felt for her? How could that be? There was so much!

Harry noticed her doubt. In response he grabbed her and dove straight into the door.

Tonks never had any reason to question his feelings for her again.

As the light washed over her, she couldn't say she felt warmth or tenderness or anything like books or stories would lead her to believe. It was like an inferno. She felt like she was in a volcano because of the power of the feeling in here. Except, she didn't feel burned or threatened. She felt safer than she ever had before. It was as if the heat was telling her that it would protect her. That it would do anything for her. Then she realized what it meant.

Harry really loved. Wait, that wasn't the right word. Hell, she couldn't think of a word strong enough to say what it meant. She could only come up with this:

If she wanted him, Harry was hers.

She shouted her answer from the top her lungs.

_Yes! Hell yes! I love him. He's mine and I'm his!_

Then it happened. Something happened. They were forced back into their own bodies and the golden light started to stream out of their eyes, ears, mouths and noses. It grew in strength until the room was awash. Then the lights touched. They combined and turned pure white. Then it stopped. The light remained in the room, but Harry and Tonks were in control again.

"What's happening, Nym? What's all this light mean?"

Tonks was in tears again, but this time because of joy.

"Harry, this is the formation of a bond. It will bind our souls on some level. It means that we both love each as truly as is humanly possible and our magic is responding to that."

"Then what happens next?" he asked, excited and confused at the same time.

"Well, I think I initiated it in your mind. You have to accept the bond now. You need to show the magic that you want it but I don't know how."

Harry looked at her like she was stupid. She noticed and was about to ask why when he showed the magic his acceptance.

He leaned forward and captured Tonks' lips in a heated kiss. He poured everything he had into the kiss. Quickly after, so did she. He ran his fingers through her hair while she grabbed his neck. The kiss deepened and became something more. They could feel the joining of their souls. They could _feel_ each other. Not just physically. They felt each other's joy and reveled in actually feeling the presence of the other.

After what seemed like eternity, the kiss ended and the light receded. The bonded couple lay on the couch together, basking in their love for each other. Harry looked at his girlfriend, wait that was far too weak a word, his _soulmate_ and said,

"I love you Nym. Never forget it. Never doubt it."

**Man, this chapter turned out nothing like I planned. I hadn't even thought of doing this until I started writing. It just felt right. I hope I didn't turn anybody off with the soulmate thing. I think it's great and others think it's sickening. Oh well. Tell me what you think.**

**Til Tuesday or Wednesday. Bye.**


	6. Family

**Hey guys. I am so sorry I missed the Wednesday update. Life has been crazy with a previously mentioned punishment and drama rehearsals. To make up for it, this will be the longest update yet. Also, I have decided that the theme songs for this story will be "Saving Me" and "Far Away" by Nickelback. Also, I am turning "bonded" into a noun. Soulmate sounds too corny. Thanks.**

**Important! I have a poll set up in my profile about Dumbledore. Please Vote.**

Family

Tonks woke up to the steady sound of her bonded's heartbeat. Being curled up on Harry's chest, combined with _feeling _him through the bond, made her feel the safest she had in years. She took a moment just to watch him sleep. He didn't have the worried look and care he always carried when he was awake. He seemed so peaceful that at first she didn't have the heart to wake him up, but seeing as they had slept in, she had to. She leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips.

"Wotcher, Harry. It's time to get up. Come on."

Harry stirred a little and looked at Tonks. Not seeing the point in getting up, he closed his eyes again. After a moment, Tonks got a wicked gleam in her eye and kissed him again. Hard. Harry's eyes shot open and just as he gained enough consciousness to return the kiss, his girlfriend pulled away. She laughed at the look on his face.

"It's your own fault for not getting up the first time, now up."

She walked to the shower as Harry got up. He expected to feel exhausted after the events of the day before, but he felt incredibly refreshed. He could tell that his bonded felt the same way.

After various morning routines were completed, Tonks went to the kitchen only to find her boyfriend making a breakfast that could put a trained chef to shame. It smelled _amazing._

"You know you don't have to make me breakfast every morning. I can make a few things."

"Oh I know that, Nym, it's just that this is one of the few things I can do well that doesn't hurt anybody. Plus, if I've learned one thing from how long I've known you, is that a full Tonks is a happy Tonks. And I definitely like happy Tonks."

Tonks blushed at this and sat down. Her nose had not deceived her. The food was amazing. How had he learned to cook like this? She was going to ask when he answered her unasked question.

"The Durselys treated me like the Malfoys treat their house elves. I had to cook all their food, do all the cleaning and work. If I was lucky, I could eat something I made. All the practice paid off I guess."

The sullen mood that had started to take him was cut off as Tonks launched herself at him. She attacked his lips with a ferocity he hadn't seen before. She worked her fingers though his hair and was soon treated with an enthusiastic response. His bad mood vanished instantly. All he could focus on was the gorgeous woman he loved. Merlin, he loved her. He pulled her as close to him as humanly possible. After several minutes they parted for air as Tonks rested on his chest nuzzling his neck.

"Feeling better?"

Her answer was a kiss along her jaw that sent shivers down her spine.

"Good. I don't want you to think about those nasty muggles when you're with me. Got it?"

Harry nodded and was content just holding her. They talked some, stealing a few kisses here and there. Eventually Harry got around to asking her to tutor him some and she happily obliged. That was how they spent the next two weeks. Tonks managed to convince Amelia Bones that Harry needed a body guard, so she wasn't missing any work. Over the course of those two weeks, Harry did two things. Harry became incredibly close. The soul bond allowed amazing insight into everything the other did. Anyone who saw them would have said that they had been together for years. Both were happier than they had ever been before.

The second thing wasn't nearly as impressive. Harry took up exercising. Tonks talked him into doing the kind of workouts that Auror recruits did. He did crunches, pushups, some weight-lifting, but mainly running. It wasn't in a wizard's best interest to get "buff" because it slowed you down. Running kept Harry trim and gave him an excuse to be out and about with Tonks. Any baby fat left, had melted away and Tonks secretly worried about more fangirls following her man.

Her man.

She loved the sound and possessiveness of it because it was true. Harry and Tonks belonged with each other. Any time Tonks had leave for some extra Auror business or anything else, she felt like she was missing something. The only thing that helped was focusing the bond in her mind. Maybe one day she would be Mrs. Potter. She like the sound of that….

Oh Shite!

She hadn't introduced Harry to her parents yet. They didn't know anything about their relationship or the soul bond. That would have to change.

After their morning run, Tonks and Harry showered (separately you perverts). Harry went down and was reading up on History of Magic while Tonks was dreading asking him to come to her parents' house. Gathering up her courage she sat down on the couch and began talking to harry in a rush.

"Har, I think we should go to my parents' house for dinner sometime, because we haven't told them anything about us and they will be royally pissed off at us if we put it off any longer and-"

She was silenced by a finger put to her lips.

"It's alright, love. I was waiting for you to suggest it. They are your parents after all. When are we going over?"

Relief flushed through her. He was fine with it. He had been anticipating it. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Harry was great, after all. Mum would probably be okay with them, but Dad might be a problem.

"I'll send an owl and ask. If I know mum, we'll be going over for dinner tonight. But, um, Harry, Dad might not be thrilled about the age difference."

"Nym, I've fought Death Eaters, a Basilisk, a dragon, Dementors and Lord Voldemort. I'll be fine. Plus, I've got you with me."

He said the last part with such love and confidence that all of her worries went away. She walked up to him and kissed him. This kiss wasn't the passionate kind they had shared earlier. This was soft and sweet. She was showing him how much his confidence meant to her.

Just as Tonks had predicted, her owl answered immediately with an invitation to dinner that night. Harry was going to dress in his best dress robes, but the letter said to be casual and Ted Tonks was muggle-born, so he went with black jeans, a black button up shirt and a white undershirt. Tonks had taken to do a little shopping after seeing the clothes the Dursleys made him wear. Tonks wore Capri's and a nice blue blouse. (I'm inept at fashion please don't hurt me if this is bad)

At 6:30 the couple were ready to go; physically at least. Despite his assurances to the contrary, Harry was scared stiff. He had something really important to ask Mr. and Mrs. Tonks and really wanted them to say yes. Unfortunately for Harry, he hadn't quite grasped that the love of his life could feel his emotions through their bond. Tonks stepped up to Harry and pulled him into a hug.

"It's alright, love. Mum will probably be fine with it and Dad will get over the initial shock quick enough. It'll be fine," she said in a reassuring tone. Harry wasn't quite reassured.

"But what if they tell you to stop seeing me? What'll happen then?" Tonks sighed and nuzzled his cheek.

"Fat chance of that, Har. Remember, my mum was disowned for marrying dad 'cause he's muggle-born. Age difference shouldn't be that big a problem." Harry nodded but Tonks could still feel his worry.

"Harry, look at me." She grabbed his jaw and made him look into her eyes. "I'm not leaving you. Ever. I love my parents, but if they make me choose between you, they won't like my choice."

Harry being Harry started to object, saying that he didn't want to come between them, but he was cut off by a pair of moist lips and soon he seeing stars. He still couldn't get over how much she made him feel. He couldn't believe how so much had changed in just a few weeks. Tonks pulled back.

"Never forget it." This time Harry initiated the kiss. This was one of the fiery passionate ones that made Tonks lose her footing. She fell against Harry and moaned as the kiss deepened. Merlin, she wanted him!

"Never doubt it. Merlin, I want you so much, Har," she half murmured, half whimpered.

"I know exactly what you mean, but that will half to wait until we're married. Oh, sorry looks like I messed up your makeup, go on up to the bathroom. I'll wait here."

Shocked by the change of pace; Tonks walked up to the bathroom. It wasn't until she was on her way back that she realized what he'd said. _Until we're married! _ _He wants to marry me! I had hoped. I'd dreamed. Merlin, nothing can ruin tonight._

Still in a daze, the metamorph walked back into the sitting room and accepted Harry's arm as they stepped into the flu. Harry leaned over and planted a quick kiss on her cheek.

"For luck." He said with a wink.

"Tonks Residence."

With a burst of green flame, they were gone.

Harry thanked the powers that be tat for once he didn't land on the person he was traveling with as he exited the flu. That would have been a bad way to start the evening.

"Mum, Dad, I'm her and I've brought my boyfriend."

At this, a woman, presumably Tonks' mother stepped into the room. You could tell instantly that she was a Black by birth. She carried herself with a dignity and grace that belied noble upbringing. She also had the regal bone structure and facial features that he'd seen on Sirius. In fact, she looked a good deal like her sister, Bellatrix Lestrange. The main difference was that instead of a wicked gleam of insanity in her eyes, there was a kind of soft glow that hinted at happiness and contentedness; something that Azkaban had sucked from his godfather.

Her eyes narrowed slightly when she saw Harry.

"Harry Potter? You're dating Harry Potter and you never thought to tell us? It's a miracle that it hasn't hit the papers. Don't you think the age difference is too much? Oh, excuse my poor manners, please take a seat. You may call me Andy and Ted will be joining us soon. He couldn't leave work early."

She waited patiently as the couple sat down on the sofa. As they sat down, she looked surprised at how close they chose to sit to each other. Tonks had grabbed Harry's hand and seemed to be drawing strength from the physical contact.

The truth was that Tonks was doing exactly that. He mother had started asking questions a little earlier than she had anticipated. She always felt better when she was touching Harry.

"Well, mum, at first I did. I met when I was doing some jobs for Dumbledore. I always thought he was handsome, but because of the six year age difference, I didn't do anything about it. Then I got to know him. He's the most caring and loyal person you could ever meet. He'd do anything for his friends. He'd do more for me if that were possible. He fought a bloody Basilisk for his best mate's sister for crying out loud. I started feeling something for him. I saw what the Dursleys, his muggle relatives did to him. They beat him, mum. They hit him fists, belts, wood metal and everything else. It tore me apart. Dumbledore wouldn't let me even talk to him. He said that Harry should be left alone. Then…then Sirius died. Voldemort tricked Harry into going to the department mysteries. Sirius died trying to save Harry. Harry blamed himself and went into depression. Dumbledore still said I couldn't talk to him. I decide that old Dumbles could sod off. I'm glad I did because…because Harry tried to kill himself and I saved him." she couldn't go on. She grabbed Harry and burrowed her face into his chest and cried. She held him as tightly as she could. The thought of Harry's near suicide still got to her.

As Tonks was speaking, Andy felt several emotions. At first she was in shock that Tonks was dating Harry. He was a celebrity six years younger than her. But then Tonks had said that Harry was caring and loyal. After what Nym had gone through, she was a very good judge of character, so she kept her skepticism in check. Then she got angry. How dare those muggles do something like that to a child? She was a Black and at time fell back to family thinking. Then she heard Dumbledore's orders. Was he crazy?

What really got to her was Nymphadora breaking down. She didn't cry. Period. Her original opinion, that this was a fling or something, was instantly blown out of the water. She could how much Nym was hurting from that memory and she saw how Harry was there reassuring her.

"Shh. Shh. It's alright, Nym. You got there in time. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. I love you. Never forget it."

Andromeda could just make out her daughter's muffled response.

"Never doubt it."

The walls came tumbling down. The couple had gained an ally. She just had one question though.

"Harry, how exactly did you two become so close, so fast."

The young man paused for a second, before murmuring something into his girlfriend's ear. After a moment, the pinkette nodded. Harry took a deep breath and looked into the older woman's eyes.

"We have a soul bond."

Andromeda Black Tonks was stunned. A Soul Bond! There hadn't been a recorded soul bond since the time of the Founders. The only recorded case before Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw was Merlin and Morgana LeFay. It required immense magical power in tandem with a love so strong that it would override anything else. She managed to regain her composure after a few moments.

"You are a very powerful wizard, Harry, and I can see how you and my daughter feel about each other. You'll hear no more objections from me. But, let's make one thing clear. If you ever hurt my Nymphadora, I'll kill you myself. Is that clear?"

Her eyes were met with a gaze as hard as stone.

"I would _die_ before I let anything happen to Nym."

Andromeda believed it.

This boy, no, man was worthy of her daughter.

The sound of the front door opening broke the silence that had been hanging in the room since Harry's pronouncement.

"Andy, I'm home! Sorry I'm late, is Nymphadora here yet?"

Andromeda turned to Harry and said, "I'll go to talk to him in the other room and explain everything to him. It should be easier coming from me. He doesn't want to let Nymphadora go."

The glare she received from her daughter made her feel a little better. She had calmed down a lot.

After she left the room, Harry started talking to Nym.

"Why didn't you tell me it was still bothering you so much? I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on."

"I didn't want you to worry. I didn't want to be a burden."

Harry grabbed her chin and made her look at him.

"Nym, I love you. You could never be a burden. It hurts to see you suffering like that. I know what it feels like to worry. I'm told I do that a little too much. But you have to understand, I want to help you. Promise that you'll talk to me from now on."

She nodded and kissed him.

The fact that her parents were in the next room didn't matter. Harry mattered. She loved him so much and she'd just been reminded why. He broke the kiss and she threw her arms around his neck, still sobbing slightly. He held her close and rubbed her back gently in small circles.

"Well at least your mum likes me. Let's see what your dad has to say, alright?"

She nodded and just nuzzled her head into his neck and cheek, just enjoying how close they were. She never wanted it to end. She could feel that he felt the same way. Sadly, it had to as the Tonks' came back into the room. Tonks got off of Harry, but still clung to his arm tightly.

Eyeing this, Ted sat down in a chair across from the couple.

"So, Harry, Andy tells me that you two are bonded and that she approves. I learned a long time ago to trust Andy's judgment in things like this, so you two have my blessing."

Relief washed over the couple like a tidal wave.

"Thanks, Daddy. It really means a lot to us. Harry really wanted your blessing."

"Harry?"

"Yes, he was terrified that you'd forbid us to see each other even though I told him that I'd still be with him."

Ted's eyes widened in surprise. This really was serious. Harry chose this moment to speak up.

"Um, Mr. Tonks, may I speak with you in private? I have something I want to ask you."

Nym looked up sharply. What could Harry want to ask dad? Wait. Could he be- really? A huge grin broke out on her face as the two men took their leave. This earned a questioning look from her mother. The dutiful daughter then explained, with some blushing, about the conversation she had with Harry before she arrived.

—With Harry—

"What?" said Ted Tonks, not quite believing his ears.

"You heard me. I want your blessing to propose to your daughter."

"So, we meet you for the first time today, and you want to get my permission to marry my daughter."

"Not quite. I want your blessing. I'm going to propose either way, but I would like you to approve," said Harry with confidence. He knew what he wanted and he was done backing down to everyone. He just hoped that Mr. Tonks was more impressed that angry.

Harry was in luck. Ted was hugely impressed. He burst out laughing.

"Harry, I said those exact same words to Andromeda's parents. Unfortunately, they didn't approve. I like your spirit. You have my blessing."

Harry barely managed to keep himself from let out a cheer.

The two men shook hands and rejoined a grinning pair of Tonks women. They had a great time.

It seems Tonks was right. Nothing could or did ruin that night.

**Alright! I topped my longest chapter for this story by 1.000 words. I hope you like. Either way, send me a review and don't forget to check out my poll. It's really important. Thanks.**


	7. Apology

**I'm sorry for the lack of updates. Life is crazy for me right now. Exams, SOL's, drama rehearsals until 8:30 directly after school, and mild depression have kept me away. I swear I will have an update this weekend. This is my apology. To thank you for sticking with me, I am giving you guys a hint as to what the future holds for this story. I am 99 percent positive that what I plan to do has never been done before. **

**My Dumbledore will be the most evil Dumbledore ever written in fanfiction and Harry gains a very unlikely ally. I won't say more unless someone guesses correctly. Then I might expand with a vow of silence. See you on Saturday! I promise!**


	8. A Gift

**Hey guys! Finally, a real update. Before I start I have a few things to say. I love reviews. I don't care if they are positive or negative because I have to know what to fix. However, sending a review that is simply a list of plot points that have the words "have to" in them is extremely rude. If you have some ideas, I am open to suggestion, but never tell me what to write. I do this for fun and I want it to stay that way. On a lighter note, I'm going to start working on a Naruto fic pretty soon. So keep your eyes open for that one. Thanks.**

A Gift

Except for a few drawbacks, life was great for Harry Potter. He wasn't at the Dursely's, he was in love, and he planned on proposing soon to the love of his life, Nymphadora Tonks. His problems, major as they may have seemed to some, were pretty small in comparison to the threats he had dealt with in his first five years at Hogwarts. He started to believe that maybe things wouldn't be so bad anymore.

He was in for a shock.

The morning air was crisp and cool as Harry finished up his early morning run. Tonks usually ran with him, but he'd started to stretch the length of the run and Nym didn't feel up to it that morning.

A smile broke onto his face. What had he done to deserve her? The older auror was everything he wanted in a woman: beautiful, funny, playful, she could take care of herself, and she was in love with _him_. She loved Harry Potter, the guy; not his image.

Just as he turned onto the block where Tonks lived his reverie was shattered

By a scream.

— With Tonks—

Tonks' morning had started great. She'd given her boyfriend a kiss as he left, and then she went back to sleep for a few hours. She'd eat breakfast with Harry when he got back.

She looked at the clock and saw it was seven thirty. _Harry's doing the long run today. Oh well where's the paper?_ It turned out that Harry hadn't gotten it yet so Tonks threw on a bathrobe over her underwear. No sense in giving the whole neighborhood a show. Harry's the onl who gets to see that.

As she walked down to the street for her paper, an icy chill fell over her. At first she shrugged it off. London was rather nippy in the mornings. It got worse and worse until she was shivering and then a memory came unbidden to her mind. She being forced to replay finding Harry trying to kill himself.

"What's going on? No, stop this! I don't want to see this. What's happening?"

And then she saw them. Dementors. A lot of them.

Tonks screamed as they went in for her soul.

That's when Harry arrived. Fear clutched at him as he saw the large group of Dementors. How had they found them? There was no way that Voldemort knew he was here. Tonks lived in a muggle neighborhood and she cast a glamour charm on him whenever he left the house. There was no way they could know.

Then the fear bled away, replaced by determination. The Dementors were trying to steal his bonded's soul. His wand came up quick as a flash.

_Expecto Patronum!_

He focused on the most powerful happy memory he could must. He chose the night when he had formed the soul bond with Tonks. The pure joy and ecstasy caused by love literally flowing through him rushed through his wand. The stag came from his wand as usual, a comforting sight. Then something else happened.

His wand was still glowing. The stag was soon joined as a grim exited the wand and Harry laughed and cried at the same time in memory of his godfather. To his utter amazement, it wasn't done yet. A huge form left the wand and closed ranks with the other two. It was a werewolf. The true marauders were there to protect him and his love. Then something that astounded him happened. Something else came from the wand: a rat. Why would Pettigrew be defending him? Wasn't he a traitor? Hadn't caused the death of his parents? Yet here he was as a patronus, defending Harry.

The four Patroni stood in a proud line and rushed at the Dementors.

The Dementors never stood a chance.

The stag, grim and werewolf tore the Dementors to shreds and the rat fought with a ferocity you wouldn't expect. It threw itself at the enemies, tearing, biting, ripping, anything to do its part; anything to prove its worth and place among its fellows.

Not knowing what else to do, Harry ran over to Tonks and pulled her out of the way of the fight. He grabbed her jaw and worriedly looked into her eyes. He breathed a sigh of relief. They weren't lifeless. The Dementors hadn't taken her soul. He pulled his crying girlfriend into a hug, trying to provide as much comfort as he could while watching the battle. The Dementors were all knocked away and he thought that that would be the end as it usually was. Everyone knew you couldn't kill Dementors. Or at least, that's, what he thought.

Suddenly, all four patroni converged on one at once. They slammed into it together and the Dementor exploded. Several lights shot out of the black body and hovered above the body and waited while the performance was repeated many times until all of the Dementors were finished off.

By now, the lights had formed an extremely large group over Harry and Tonks. Staring at them, Harry finally figured out that they must be the souls devoured by the Dementors. After a moment, one of them separated from the group and began to take shape. Standing before them, well floating, was a young woman.

"Greetings, Harry Potter. My name is Virginia Dare and I was trapped in that evil thing since the fifteen hundreds. The souls you see before you are primarily the souls of the first British colony in Virginia. Some on the Wizengamot thought that that was a bad idea and sent these Dementors to wipe us out. You have freed us and we wish to give you a gift."

As she finished speaking the souls began to move towards Harry and suddenly rushed right through him. Over a hundred souls went through Harry and Tonks, flying through them as if they weren't there. It was rather disconcerting. When all had gone through, Virginia spoke again.

"We have given you some of our abilities, Harry. You and your intended have the power of intangibility. When someone wishes you harm, you may make it so that you cannot be touched by spell nor weapon. When you return to Hogwarts, talk to the ghosts there, they will help you figure out your other gifts that we have bestowed."

And then they were gone. That was it. No light show or anything, they just left. Still slightly in shock, Harry turned to Tonks and saw that she was still sobbing. He gathered her into his arms and pulled her close.

"It's alright, love. I'm here. I'll protect you. Sh, sh, I've got you. Come one let's get back inside."

Harry carried his girlfriend up to their apartment and brought her over to the couch. After making sure she was comfortable, he went to the kitchen and got some chocolate.

"Come on, love. Here's some chocolate. It'll make you feel better."

Still in somewhat of a daze, she ate the chocolate. As soon as she swallowed, it seemed as if she snapped out of a trance. Her eyes went wide and she looked around frantically until she locked onto Harry. She nearly tackled as she grabbed him and latched onto his neck and started kissing him frantically.

"They…made…me...watch you…try to…kill yourself. I felt, I felt…"

"Hey, hey, I'm here. I won't ever do that again. I have you to live for now." He paused taking a deep breath. No time like the present. "I have decided that I'm not letting you out of my sight ever again. Nym, will you marry me?"

Silence. She stared at him for a second, blinking. Then it hit her. A huge smile spread over her features and she went on the attack again. She pressed her lips against his as hard as she could; pressing her tongue trying to gain entrance. He opened his mouth as they deepened the kiss, while pulling her closed. She pressed against him, loving the feeling of their bodies touching. She moaned into him. Merlin, she wanted him so badly. She whimpered slightly when he pulled away.

"B-but wuh huh?"

He put a finger to her lips.

"Not until we're married."

"B-but…fine!"

She got up, grabbed her wand and latched onto Harry again.

CRACK

"Welcome to La Vegas, Har."

**Alright, that's all for now. I know it's short, but I thought that this was a good stopping place. Next chapter will be more lighthearted. Also, I may only get one update per week because I'm starting my Naruto fic soon. Please read and review.**


	9. Inheritance

**Sorry for the long wait, but the chapter was hard to write. Every time I wrote something, it was too close to a chapter of ****Matryoshka Vignettes****by Jeconais. It's not on the website. He has his own. In that story, Harry marries Daphne Greengrass in Vegas and the twins make everything crazy. I have decided to skip the Vegas scene and use flashbacks/explanations. To those of you who were really looking forward to it, I'm sorry. This will be the fabled Gringotts chapter that I always reference.**

**I don't own Harry Potter.**

Inheritance

Dumbledore was not happy. Harry had dropped off the map for weeks. If Dumbledore didn't know where the boy was, the boy could not be controlled. Today was the reading of Sirius' Will and he knew for certain that the old prankster would emancipate the boy. The dog had figured out Dumbledore's money source, but a secrecy oath kept him in place until his death. The fool had no idea that Dumbledore was the one who stopped his trial from happening.

Anyways, if Harry was emancipated, the Goblins would tell him everything. Oh well, all he could do was hope for the best. It was starting to look like everything would be ok. The Weasely's were there and the Order members he had requested as well. Thank Merlin, Harry wasn't there.

Just as he was sighing in relief at his good fortune, a pair of figures barged in to the will reading room. Their clothes were in bad repair and they had grins that split their faces as they walked in.

Dumbledore had one thought go through his mind.

_Oh shite._

"Well everyone, we're here! What? You didn't think I'd miss the will reading did you? He was my godfather after all. Isn't anyone going to ask where we were for two weeks?"

Harry's question snapped everyone out of their collective daze and, as usual, Molly was the first one to open her trap.

"Just where have you been, young man? Dumbledore has been worried sick about you! Now, about last month at…headquarters…I am willing to forgive you for what you said. You were understandably upset about Sirius' death. I hope you've come to your senses about that harlot who was taking advantage of you-"

"If you say one more word about my wife, I will blast you back to the Burrow and you'll be lucky if I stop there."

Silence.

The usual jaws dropped to the floor.

Molly's face turned red.

The twins looked horrified at the thought of marriage.

Charlie grinned.

Most of the others were too stunned to respond.

All in all, it had the intended effect. Then Molly started to open her mouth. Harry fixed that.

_Silencio_

"I swear, if that…woman… and I use the term liberally, says one more thing to me about this, I will not be responsible for my actions."

Harry was understandably pissed off. (Not pissed, that means drunk.) The people around him noticed this and held off questions. Everyone except Hermione.

"But Harry, you're only fifteen, you can't get married. I can't see why you'd want to marry her though. She's not good enough. I mean really, shouldn't you be looking for someone more your own age and-"

_Silencio_

Surprisingly, this came from Ron.

"I'm not exactly smart, but that was really dumb, Hermione."

Everyone nodded. Harry gave an appreciative nod to his best friend and decided to get on with his explanation. He called out to the goblin who was in the room with them.

"Griphook, can I have access to a pensieve? It will this much easier."

"You remember my name, Mr. Potter?"

"Of course I do. You think an eleven year old muggleraised boy would forget the first goblin he ever met? Call me Harry, please."

The goblin was floored. He was short, so that didn't mean much, but you get the point. The wizarding world was racist to the extreme. The only reason that the Goblins had the bank was that the humans trusted each other less. For someone like Harry Potter to remember his name form a brief meeting five years before was quite an honor. Ta allow a goblin to call him by his given name was incredible. Griphook had just risen extremely high on the goblin pecking order.

"Of course Mr. Po…Harry. I'll be right back."

And he was. He popped out of the room and back in less than ten seconds, luggind something resembled a large toilet bowl.

"The pensieve you asked for, Harry. Glad I could help."

"Thank you Griphook. If you could, please talk to me after the Will reading is over, I have a few things to discuss with you."

That clinched it. Harry was definitely receiving Goblin Friend status as soon the Director could sign off on it.

"Of course. Good day and congratulations on your marriage. May your mate bear you many children."

And he was gone.

Tonks looked like she was about to burst and clutched onto Harry very tightly.

"Hurry up and put the memory in there, love."

"All right. Guys, I don't want to explain the story to you. It would take a while, so you're going to watch my memory of my trip to Las Vegas."

The twins' eyes lit up at the mention of their favorite muggle city. None of the others knew the significance. Harry touched his wand to his head and tugged out a silver thread from his forehead. The others jumped into the pensieve after he deposited the memory.

—Flashback—

"_Las Vegas?" asked a confused Harry._

"_Yep. This is the best place on earth for people to run off to get hitched and I'm not waiting any longer."_

"_Jeeze, alright, but don't you want a big wedding with dresses and flowers and your parents who are going to kill us when they find out."_

"_Hah! Not likely. Where do you think I got the idea from? They came here to get married without the permission of mum's parents. If they get mad it's kind of hypocritical. Enough chitchat. Let's find a wedding chapel and then a hotel."_

_The look on her face caused Harry to gulp. He didn't think much sleeping was going to happen that night. Understandably, he wasn't bothered. He nodded and they set off._

_It didn't take long. Vegas was full of places to get married and they wasted no time on getting in line. When they asked to be married, and gave their names, the man's head shot up._

"_Harry Potter? The Harry Potter?"_

"_Yes, yes, it's me. Come on, just marry me to the gorgeous woman here, please."_

"_Um, two problems with that. One, you're only fifteen and two, whoa, the book says you've been married for two weeks. How does that work?"_

_Tonks went rigid._

"_You-you mean that we've been married for two weeks. Harry, we could have been shagging for two weeks! That's it, we're finding a hotel."_

The onlookers were forcibly removed from the pensieve.

—Real World—

Molly looked like she was going to pop as her silent jaws opened and closed. Hermione was almost as bad and the two made quite a pair. Then they all saw Harry and Tonks.

The newlyweds were kissing each other for all they were worth and didn't seem to notice that they had an audience. (The reactions were the same as the kiss at Grimmauld when you factor in silencing charms on the women) The twins whistled and the blushing couple broke apart, but Tonks kept hugging her husband.

"What? We're married and he is so _hot_ when he stands up to people like that."

Ginny blushed and nodded in agreement. After receiving a death glare from her mother, she just shrugged. Harry was, in her opinion, a hunk.

Dumbledore was confused and silent. How could the pair be married? He couldn't think of a reason that satisfied the question. Whatever it was took priority over ministry law. The only way that could work was with old magic, but the Potters weren't that old a family. Time for damage control. He probably doesn't know the significance of what's happening anyway.

"Harry, my dear boy, I think you should consider taking a step back in your relationship with Nymphadora. You are only sixteen and you cans see all the trouble this has brought. Perhaps a divorce would be in order."

There was a deathly silence.

Molly Weasely was nodding her head along with Hermione while the rest were just waiting for Harry's reaction.

His head was bowed as he paused for several moments. He pulled Tonks close to him and the auror gave him a hug. Finally, he spoke in a very low voice that everyone strained to hear.

"What right do you have, old man, to tell me to give up Tonks? What makes you think that you have earned the right to give me any advice? I admired you for years, Dumbledore. You were powerful and apparently wise. You didn't hurt me and I thought that with you, things might just be alright. But when Voldemort showed up, where were you? Where were you when I needed you? Where were you when I fought Quirrel for the Sorcerer's Stone? Where when you when Ginny was enslaved to that damn diary? Where were you when I fought a basilisk? Where were you every damn time a young boy had to fight the most powerful dark lord in centuries?"

Harry paused and held Tonks even closer. He seemed choked up and the raw emotion in his voice would have captivated a troll. He continued in a whisper.

"Where were you when the Dursleys abused me? Where were you when my godfather was falsely imprisoned? I don't know where you were or anyone else for that matter. The only people that have always been there for me are Tonks and the twins. Even my best mates left me out to dry at times and on your orders. When Sirius died, if you had just taken the time to stop and talk to me; taken the time to help me through the pain, I would have been loyal to you forever. Instead, Tonks came and stopped me from suicide."

The crowd gasped. Harry had been trying to kill himself? But Albus had said…

Only two people seemed to understand what that meant.

The twins.

The connected the dots. Dumbledore was too good a judge of people to not know when they needed comfort or help.

Hell, anyone could have known that someone who had just lost the only family that they had ever known would need some support.

The twins knew and they were pissed off!

They were just drawing out their wands to cast some particularly nasty curses at their former headmaster when Harry continued speaking.

"That's right, she saved me. This "whore", this "scarlet woman, this "seductress" is the only reason I am still alive. Even if someone had stopped me from killing myself that time, I would have done it again. She is the only reason I have for living, and your advice is to "take a step back?" Idiots. I just want to be happy for once in my life. Is that too much to ask?"

There weren't many dry eyes in the place. Molly and Hermione were only holding back behind a wall of self-righteous conviction. Dumbledore had turned ghost white.

_Damn, damn, damn. He's got sympathy from most of them and he's made it clear that he no longer respects me. If Sirius emancipated him, I am deep trouble._

Tonks pulled her husband into a tight hug and was murmuring quietly in his ear.

"It's ok, Har. I'm not going anywhere and remember, most of the Weasley's are with you too. I love you. Never forget it."

There was a light pause and Harry slowly looked up into the face of the woman he loved with all his heart and soul.

"Never doubt it."

He gave her a slow soft kiss and straightened up.

The twins didn't whistle. They weren't cruel.

"Alright, enough of this. Let's get on with this will reading please. I want to get out of here."

The goblin at the desk in the room finally looked up. Human problems didn't much concern him.

"Very well Mr. Potter. We may begin. I will now read aloud the last will and testament of Sirius Orion Black.

'I, Sirius Orion Black, being of sound mind and able body, do hereby leave my property to the following:

Whew, that legalese was boring. Here's the rundown. Dumbledore gets jack. That's an American expression that means he gets nothing. Harry, I'm having you emancipated so that you can finally leave those terrible muggles. I suggest you ask the goblins about the activity in your parents' vaults over the years. Just remember that Dumbledore held me silent through a magical vow. I love you like a son and I would never hold anything back if I didn't have to. I leave you everything that does not belong ancestrally to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. This includes some pictures of your family and my motorcycle. I wish I could give you more, but for some reason there is something preventing me from naming you heir. Instead I leave the title of Lord or should I say Lady Black to my cousin Nymphadora Tonks. Well I guess Harry could still be Lord Black if they married. Ha ha ha. The only stipulation I have is that my cousin give 10,000 galleons to Remus Lupin. Don't ask him; just put it in his vault. I'm sorry that I can't be there for you, Harry, but never doubt that I love you.

Thus concludes the rather unusual will of the late Lord Black. I must ask that all present except for Baron Potter and the new Lady Black."

There was a nearly collective cry of "Baron Potter?"

"Yes, he has enough money to be considered a Baron now. By the way, Baron, we are working on lifting that ridiculous lifelong ban from Las Vegas. Being lucky isn't a crime."

A stunned crowd left, but the Weasley boys lagged a little.

"Hey, Harry, we'll wait outside. We need to talk about joining your house. Don't keep us waiting too long," said Charlie.

"Good"

"On you"

"Mate"

"Even we"

"Haven't been banned"

"From Vegas"

"Yet" (guess who?)

And so Harry and Tonks were left alone with the goblin.

"So is this for some kind of ceremony to make Tonks the Lady Black?"

The goblin let out a low chuckle, surprising the couple. Goblins don't laugh often and the sound was rather gravelly.

"Not really. Most people assume that become Head of a House requires some kind of blood ritual or something. There are a few exceptions though and that's why you're here, Baron. Your wife here because…well she's your wife. What do you know about the extinction of Magical Houses?"

Harry's nose and brow crinkled as he thought. He was slightly confused.

"Doesn't that just mean that they died off? What's so special about that?"

The goblin scoffed.

"Do you honestly think that in a world full of magic like ours, that magical families just disappear? Have you ever heard of Gregor Mendel? He was a rather brilliant muggle who figured out how genes worked. There is a similar pattern in magical genes. When the pure line of a house dies off, a burst of magic goes out alerting the genes that survived from intermarriage into other houses. From that time on, the genes become hyper dominant in an effort to survive until it has the chance to produce children with another containing the same genes. Eventually, in theory, someone will be born almost a full blooded member of that house. Are you with me so far?"

Nods

"Good. This is what has happened with you. What's surprising is that the house you are descended from was an Old Magic house."

Somewhat star struck, Harry had to ask a question.

"Wait, wait, wait. I'm the heir to a Magical house? Isn't that a rather huge coincidence, me being a member of an old house and Voldemort trying to kill me?"

"Baron, why do you think you survived? Your mother was the equivalent of a half-blooded member of the house. The death triggered some of the old magic to save you. Did you think just anyone could die to make a shield capable of stopping the killing curse? Moving on, as I said earlier, there are some instances, such as the reformation of an old house, that require a kind of ritual. It will change you physically and your magic will change to suit the house."

"Ok, you keep talking about a house. Which one is it?"

"Le Fay"

Both heads shot up.

"Did you say Le Fay? You know like the Dark Witch, Le Fay who betrayed Camelot and Merlin? That Le Fay?"

Then Harry and Tonks saw something that few lived to tell of.

The goblin was extremely angry.

"You know nothing of what you speak! Morgana did more for Merlin, Camelot, and even the Goblins than you can ever know. After the destruction of Camelot, what humans were left to write the tale? All of the good men and women were dead. Be proud that you are part of her house, human."

He spoke with such fire and passion in his voice that Harry couldn't help but believe him. Plus, it made sense. By this time all the good men _were_ dead.

"Alright, I believe you. I am sorry if I offended you, but all I've heard were the legends. I apologize if I offended."

The goblin slumped down in his chair and breathed out a sigh. The fight seemed to have gone out of him.

"No, no, the fault is mine. I apologize, Baron, but she was a goblin-friend. That's the highest honor we can give to a human and there hasn't been one in a long time, but you seem to be well on your way to becoming one yourself. I saw how you treated Griphook and no I don't want you to call me by my name. This is business. Let's just go to the ritual chamber."

The goblin hopped off of his chair and led the pair over to a wall. He went up to a portrait of some long forgotten goblin leader and punched it in the nose. At first Harry thought he was letting off steam, but them a panel next the portrait slid down revealing a long spiraling staircase leading down in to darkness.

"Yes, I know it's an odd trigger but I didn't design the place. Let's go."

The followed the goblin down the stairs for what seemed like hours in the darkness until the stopped in front of a door. The still nameless goblin extracted a rathe large key from a pocket inside his shirt and opened the door.

Inside was a rather large dome shaped room with a circle in the middle surrounded by runes. The ceiling was covered with stalactites that seemed to giant jewels of multiple colors and the walls were adorned with murals of various nameless witches and wizards. While Harry and Nim looked around, the goblin went in to a side room and returned with a black and red bundle in his hand. He tossed it to harry.

"Put these on. Your current clothing won't do you much good after the ritual and these robes are the traditional gear of your house. They are charmed to always fit. Go on get dressed. I won't look."

Blushing a little, Harry began to strip down. When he was down to his boxers, his wife gave an appreciative whistle.

"Want something dear?"

Asked an embarrassed wizard. His wife responded with a wink.

"Always, Harry, but I think the goblins wouldn't appreciate the mess."

Rolling his eyes at his bonded's antics, he slipped in to the new clothing. It was jet black from head to toe with a crimson sash around the middle. It was loose fitting while not being loose enough to get enough. The arms were stopped from flapping by magically shrinking cuffs that caused his sleeves to look slightly poufy (I couldn't think of a better word). The effect was overall, rather pleasant. Nim just couldn't resist.

"Looking good, Har. Work those new clothes."

"Excuse me, but if you two are done flirting, we have a ritual to perform. Please stand in the circle, my lord."

The impatient goblin pushed his charge into the runic circle in the center of the room.

"Harold Potter, do you accept the roll of the Head of House of the House of Le Fay and the responsibilities that come with it?"

"I do."

"Then I call upon the family magic stored in the bowels of Gringotts to come forth and infuse you with the Old Magics of your house. So mote it be."

When he finished speaking the roof of the dome began glowing brilliantly as did the runes around the circle. Light reflected off of the crystals in the room before meeting in a huge stalactite directly above the circle. It glowed with power and the light grew until it seemed as if it was ready to explode.

Then, the light rushed out of it all at once and went straight into Harry. It rushed in through his eye, his mouth, any opening it could find. The magic soaked into every fiber of Harry's body.

It felt amazing!

Harry could feel the magic; feel the power flowing through him changing him. The muscles on his body grew and hardened. His bones grew until he was six feet tall. His face seemed to elongate and his jaw grew strong. It was like watching the effect of years of growth and training happening before your eyes in minutes.

The light built up behind his eyes before reaching through them, fixing the damage that bad prescriptions and genetic had cause. His hair grew to just past his shoulders and fell regally behind him.

Tonks looked at him in awe.

Her husband, the love of her life, looked like a god.

The loose fitting clothing looked like tissue paper of his new muscular frame. When the light faded, Harry walked over to Tonks. There was a kind of strength and grace that now accompanied his movements that made Nim weak at the knees.

He went up to his wife, grabbed her and kissed her.

Some of the magic rushed through her and she could feel her magic changing. She had always been moderately strong, but now she felt invincible, yet it felt different. It didn't feel like it had before. She couldn't put her finger on it and decided that kissing Harry the Greek god was more important. She felt so close to him, but not just physically. Somehow, there bond had strengthened some. She loved him so much. She wanted him there and then.

Then the goblin coughed.

"I hate to break this up, but we have a few more things to discuss. Come with me."

Feeling playful, Harry decided to use his new muscles and picked his wife up in his arms. She gave a squeal and threw her arms around his neck

_Hmm, it's kinda comfy here._

She was thoroughly enjoying being pressed against Harry's chest when they goblin (_damn him)_ stopped them again.

"This is the weapons room. We keep the ancestral weapon of the families here. One of them will call to you. The Le Fays have several, so you and your wife should have no problem finding ones that will suit you. Go ahead."

He wasn't lying. There a lot of weapons in there. They walked around until they found the Le Fay weaponry. There was a fearsome collection of weapons here: knives, swords, axes, maces, staves and the like. Tonks felt something pulling her to it and she walked over to a pair of knives in the Le Fay colors of black and red. The handles were crimson accompanied by an obsidian blade each.

Not knowing why, she held them so that the ends of the handles of the knives were touching, leaving the knives in a straight line with blades pointing away from each other. The handles fused, and feeling guided by some force, she took out her wand and placed along the length of the knives. It was quickly absorbed and when Tonks pulled on them, the knives once again became separate. As she was wondering how she would carry the things, they morphed into a single, crimson wand.

Harry felt a similar pull towards two scimitars with the same color scheme of the knives that his wife had chosen. The same thing happened to him. He put the handles together, except this time, the handle lengthened and the weapon turned into a double pole sword. He placed his wand in the middle of the shaft and it was absorbed into the handle. He expected it to turn into a wand again like Tonks' but instead it changed into a long staff with red caps at either end.

Harry looked questioningly at the goblin who was next to him.

"I know you must have questions. We'll deal with them in the office. We need to go over some things and then you have a meeting with Griphook and the Weasleys. Come on let's go. Don't dawdle."

**So what do you think of the longest chapter I've ever written? Tell me please.**


	10. Inheritance Part 2

**Welcome to chapter 10. This is more a part 2 to chapter 9 than anything else and it will be shown in the completely unoriginal title. One more thing. I love reviews good or bad. My only problem is that some of my best reviews have come from anonymous users. I don't like typing out responses in the chapters, but I want to respond sometimes. Please make an account or sign in. It takes 30 seconds.**

Inheritance Part 2

"Come on follow me. The sooner we finish, the sooner you can leave and talk to your friends."

The couple trailing behind him didn't say anything. They were still somewhat in shock after what had happened in the last hour. Magical surges, speed aging and magical weapons were a lot of things to take in. The just followed the goblin back up to the main floor of Gringotts bank and into another office. As they opened the door, Harry noticed another goblin was waiting for them. His presence turned their guide into a gibbering mess.

"D-d-director Ragnok, sir! What are you doing here, sir? Have I done something?"

Director Ragnok opened his lips in what was supposed to be a reassuring smile. To the humans present, it looked like he was baring his teeth.

"Calm yourself, Ripclaw. You've done nothing wrong that I know of. I want to deal with Lord Le Fay personally, that's all. You are dismissed."

Ripclaw scurried out of the office and the newlyweds were once again alone with a goblin.

"Lord La Fey, Lady La Fey, welcome to Gringotts. I am the manager and leader of the goblins in England. How do you do?"

The teeth were bared again.

Tonks and Harry were shocked. Ragnok was practically a king of his people and he was meeting them personally? Tonks got her wits together first. Harry was still a little fried from everything that had happened.

"Er, Your Honor, sir, why exactly did you want to see us personally?"

He looked at her curiously.

"Are you serious? You are the wealthiest clients of the bank right now between the entire Black fortune, Harry's winnings from Las Vegas, the Potter money from his parents and the La fey gold that has centuries of interest gathering on it. Though I will admit that there is another reason I'm here. I listened in on the will reading this morning and I got the impression that there might have been foul play concerning your placement and the management of your money. What did your godfather mean when he said you could get away from those muggles?"

Harry being Harry didn't want to talk about himself, so Tonks told Ragnok the whole story of the abuse Harry went through as a child. If they had thought Ripclaw was angry from the comments about Morgana, it was nothing compared to the director.

"How-how dare they do that to you? Children should never be treated in such a way. Harming a child is one of the most grievous crimes one can commit under goblin law. Dumbledore assured me that you would be protected as you grew up. He had to have known about this! And what's this about your parents' vaults? Didn't you authorize him to use them?"

"Director Ragnok, until today I never knew there were any vaults other than the one I was shown on my first day here."

"Actually, you have three other ones and they are all larger than the one you saw. You r father was a top auror and he made a lot of money rounding up Deatheaters. Your mother made a killing inventing spells as well. He's been using the money without permission. If only we could try him under goblin law! I would personally administer the sentence. Hmm"

Then a voice came up from just outside the door.

"Mr. Director, I have an idea. Why don't we make Harry a Goblin Friend. I would vouch for him, sir. He remembered my name from his first visit here and insisted I use his first name. He treats us like people instead of animals. According to the treaty we signed with the humans, offenders against Goblin Friends under our laws."

More bearing of teeth.

"Excellent idea Mr. Griphook. Harry,(may I call you Harry?) what do you plan on doing for the few weeks?"

A now thoroughly confused Harry had to stop the train.

"Wait a minute. Why do you care so much about what happened to me? What's a Goblin Friend? What's going to happen to Dumbledore?"

"In order, your parents were good clients and personal friends of mine. I was about to finish the paper work to make them Goblin Friends just before their deaths. A Goblin Friend is a rare honor given to humans who have earned the trust and respect of goblins. You have done that form you r actions in the five years you have spent in the wizarding world and your attitude towards Griphook was exemplary. If you become a Goblin Friend, Dumbledore will probably die after a trial under our law. Theft and child abuse are serious crimes to us."

A serious look crossed Harry's face as he thought about it. Did Dumbledore deserve to die? The goblins certainly thought so. Then he remembered Sirius and the years he wasted because Dumbledore didn't stand up for him.

"Ok, I'll do it. How does it work."

More goblin teeth

"Mr. Griphook has offered to vouch for you. That means that you will specifically be his Goblin Friend. He will be your partner, bodyguard and trainer. We goblins are the world's most accomplished weapons masters in the world and that should help you and your beautiful wife to master your new weapons. I'm sorry, but as fascinating as the subject is, we do have business to discuss."

His face lost some of its joviality (if goblins can have that) and he pulled out a folder marked Harry Potter.

"You are now Lord Black, Lord La Fey and I have heard that the Weasley's want to make Potter in to a House as well. To put it bluntly, you're one of the richest men alive right now. Sadly, your future children can't keep the combined titles. The law says that the titles will be divided among your children with each taking the surname of a certain House. Your current land holdings are the Black ancestral home, a manor in Southern France, and Le Fay manor in Edinburgh."

"Edinburgh?"

"Merlin was Scottish and Morgana loved him. It makes sense."

"If you say so."

"You also have quite a bit of stock, but you probably wouldn't understand most of it if I told you. That's all I have to talk to you about. I have portkey here for Le Fay Manor. Take Griphook with you when you go after you talk to the Weasley's. Oh and Harry, Dumbledore will probably try to trick you into an oath that will get him out of this situation. Be careful."

He gave harry a piece of rope and shook his hand.

"I will, Director, and thank you."

"It's Ragnok, and it was no trouble. If you have any trouble at all, just contact me. I'll do what I can."

Business concluded, Harry left with Tonks and Griphook to go talk to the Weasley's. They found them out in the lobby.

They didn't recognize Harry in the new clothes and his being aged.

"Uh, Tonks, where's Harry and who's this?" asked Charlie suspiciously. He was too close to Tonks for his liking.

Tonks looked confused for a second before she burst out laughing.

"This is Harry! Come on you great lump. I played story teller with Ragnok, it's your turn."

"Fine."

Jaws dropped (again) as the story was told. They could hardly believe it, but this was Harry (as attested by the scar and wife) and they trusted him.

"Alright, Harry, like we said earlier, we wish to swear ourselves to House Potter. Simply put, we swear ourselves and our future families to you and we'll probably serve as bodyguards for the time being. We'll divide up which of our families goes to which house when you have children. Ok, everyone let's do this."

They all knelt down and gave an oath in unison swearing loyalty to Harry and his descendants.

"So mote it be."

Harry started tearing up a little nit.

"Thanks guys. It-it really means a lot that you want to be my family, but you can't follow me right now. Griphook is going to be protecting us though. I'll call you if I need anything. Oh look it's the meddler. Time to get out of here."

Just as he said that, Dumbledore hurriedly walked towards them. He just had to reach Harry in time. The boy could be tricked into an oath he had devised. His plan was brilliant. There was just one snag. Harry had already left with Tonks and Griphook using a portkey.


	11. Arrival

**Welcome to the next chapter of ****Rescue****. I'm sorry I took so long, but school is now finally over and I should be posting more often. This chapter is pretty much when Harry arrives Le Fay manor and whatever else I decide to write.**

**HEADS UP: There will be characters that have Scottish accents. I can't write accents so I will tell you which ones when they appear. If anyone can or wants to write these with the accents, feel free and I'll put them in here. Thank you.**** Enjoy.**

**This one's for silo666 and an idea he gave me a while ago. Thanks, man.**

**I want to apologize for some confusion about what I said about the Le Fays. A long time ago, Morgana moved the family to Scotland for Merlin. He was Caledonian or what we call Scottish. Her descandants stayed and assimilated. If you spot discrepencies in the story, tell me and I will fix them. Thank you.  
**

Arrival

As Harry saw Dumbledore rounding the corner in Gringotts, he quickly activated the port key to Le Fay manor.

That was a close one. Dumbledore might have been able to pull something. Harry was feeling quite pleased with himself until he remembered why he preferred his broom. That annoying pull on his navel made him nauseous. Why was it the navel anyway?

The trio flashed across England into the greatest place on earth.

Scotland

With a thunk, the group was deposited in the beautiful highlands of Scotland.

Wait, the highlands? Edinburgh is in the lowlands.

"Eh, Griphook," Harry said. "This isn't Edinburgh. We're in the highlands."

Nonplussed, the Goblin didn't even look at Harry when he answered.

"Did you really think that the House of Le Fay would tell everyone exactly where their ancestral is? Telling people it's a cultural center like Edinburgh doesn't arouse suspicion and it works."

This time Tonks chimed in.

"But why did Ragnock tell us it was in Edinburgh? He could have told us."

"That's simple. He didn't know where it is either. The place is under a charm similar to the Fidelius. Only blood relations or people told by the Head of House can find the place. I only got past the wards because I was with you, Lor- Harry. Sorry about that."

Harry couldn't suppress a chuckle. Seeing a goblin disgruntled is incredibly amusing, and if you ever get the chance to see it, you'll never forget it.

"Not a problem, Griphook. We all have some things to get used to. Merlin, this place is gorgeous. I think I could get used to living in highlands. The air is so fresh and clear, and the countryside is breathtaking."

Tonks let out a small giggle as she listened to her husband waxing poetically about the scenery. Was this really the same Harry who had tried to kill himself a month before?

She still hated thinking about that.

Well, while she and Harry were enjoying their little moment, and now hugging, Griphook was getting impatient. Goblins don't really care for scenery. Caverns and gems were about it for them. Gold was great too.

"Yes, yes, it's very nice, but we haven't even seen the manor yet. Harry, get out your staff. The Le Fay magic was and is very different from the magic manipulated by most witches and wizards. I won't explain it now, because it's not my place, but with it you should be able to sense and deal with the concealment charm around the manor. Go on, give it a go."

A slightly unsure Harry pulled out his black staff. He still had yet to perform magic with it. How was he supposed to something this massive without practice?

"Griphook, I'm flattered that you think I can do this, but I've had no training in charm removal or curse breaking. I don't even know how to use this staff."

"Just concentrate. Try to feel through your staff."

Sense through his staff? That was ridiculous. How did you do that? It was absurd.

But, then, so was waving around a piece of wood, yelling Latin, and expecting something too happen.

Oh well.

Harry took a deep breath and planted his staff in the ground in front of him. He kept a tight grip on the thing and he concentrated. At first, he tried to just focus on the area around him.

It didn't work.

He tried for what seemed like forever and nothing happened.

Why wasn't it working?

Was something wrong with his staff?

He stared at the black shaft in front of him and he thought about it, his concentration shifted and suddenly he was feeling something different. Tentatively, he pushed his consciousness towards the staff.

It was incredible!

It was like someone nearly blind putting on glasses.

He could see in 360 degrees from the point of view of the top of his staff.

Every animal around was glowing slightly and the three larger figures (the group) stood like bonfires of energy. He was surprised at the size of Griphook's aura, but his and Tonks' were odd.

It seemed as though both of their auras were separate, yet…connected. There was a larger overarching aura over both of them with two large separate ones around the individuals. Interesting.

As he looked around, he couldn't help but feel that something was off. The ground and sky didn't look right. It was like there was a shimmering layer over everything. He pulled it towards him and was surprised when it moved. He pulled on it more and found that it completely responded to his will. Deciding to play around, he swung it around in circles before pulling to him through his staff. He absorbed the magic.

When he looked up, Tonks and Griphook were looking at him in something akin to awe.

"Har, what were you doing? The air was shimmering in weird patterns and magic was crackling around you. What happened?"

"When I looked through my staff, I saw a layer over everything and found I could move it and decided to have some fun with it and then I…absorbed…it. Hey guys turn around."

Both of them turned around to see a manor where a hill had just been. Okay the hill was still there and the mansion was on it, but still…

The building was less of a manor than a castle flying the flag of the House of Le Fay which the couple hadn't seen yet. It was a red basilisk on a black backdrop with a Latin motto circling the emblem in the style of the Scottish clan symbols.

"Griphook, what does the Latin mean?" asked Lord Le Fay.

"It's your House motto, sir. _Servo vestri prosapia. Iuguolo qui votum ut vulnero lemma. _It means "Protect your family. Kill those who wish to harm them." The Le Fays were in Scotland for a long time. Morgana came here for Merlin, because he was form Scotland, or Caledonia as they called it then. her family stayed here long after and became something like a clan. Even the Robert the Bruce was of French descent. Originally it was de Family was everything for them. Friendship and kinship were serious things to them. They were loyal until death and ruthless to their enemies."

Harry took a look at Tonks, the only real family he had now. He pulled her close and gave her a kiss.

"Sounds like I am in agreement with the others of my House. Though, I'm not too sure about the Basilisk. Aren't they kinda dangerous?"

Griphook gave a snort.

"Harry, nothing fits their view better than the basilisk. It is loyal only to its master and his loved ones. To any others it is ruthless."

Harry's turn to snort.

"I know that, I had to kill one in my second year."

"So where is it?"

"Where is what?"

"The basilisk"

"Probably rotting away in the Chamber if Secrets."

Griphook stared at him.

And stared

And stared

Took a deep breath

And slapped himself.

"What the bloody hell do they teach you in schools these days? When you kill a basilisk, it comes back a little while after its killing. It then bonds to the person who defeated its previous form. You didn't know that?"

"No, I didn't. We didn't study basilisks yet. Well, it's too late isn't it? It's probably starved by now."

"Luckily for you, you're wrong. The serpent will hibernate until you go back, but three years is pushing it. I would suggest you go back soon."

A somewhat abashed Harry nodded.

"Come on, let's go inside. We still haven't explored this ruddy castle and I need to use the loo."

They just shrugged and followed the pinkette inside.

The castle was enormous compared to most manors in England and the group minus the callous goblin was suitably impressed. The color scheme was, you guessed it, black and red. The symbol of a basilisk was everywhere and overall, the place looked dignified, magnificent and slightly dark.

As they stepped into the main hall the heard a large crack and a house elf appeared and he looked quite comical.

He was the typical size house elf, but he had a bit of a scruff growing on his face and he was wearing traditional Scottish garb. That means a kilt, tartan and a tam, which is the hat with the ball on top.

"Welcome home, Lord Le Fay. My name is Tammy. Does my Lord need anything?"

Now, ordinarily, this would be normal in wizarding Britain. His welcome was fairly traditional. However, Tammy delivered it in a thick Scottish brogue that did not fit the high pitched voice of a house elf.

"First off, you can call me Harry or whatever you want, but drop the titles. It makes me uncomfortable."

Harry delivered all of this without a chuckle and extended his hand to the elf, fully expecting him to freak out like Dobby had.

He hadn't had many dealings with the Scots.

"Thank you, laddy. Talking like that was getting a wee bit tiring. Does that extend to your wife too, lad?"

Tonks almost lost it when she heard him call Harry a laddy. Deciding to be a little funny, she turned her hair color to match the plaid tartan worn by Tammy.

"It does, Tammy. But you can't call me my by my first name. No one does. Period."

Tammy was impressed.

"You've got yourself a good lass there, lad. She has fire to her. She'll be a good mother for your bairns when the time comes."

That was it.

Harry and Tonks broke out laughing.

"I think she will, Tammy. I think she will. I think she makes a good lady of the House, don't you agree."

"Actually, lad, she's not the lady of the House. Please come with me."

They all followed the diminutive elf through the halls. Griphook was muttering something about house elves knowing their place, but Harry and Tonks were content looking around.

The castle was large and ancient and over the years, it had collected a large amount of interesting furnishings.

Claymores, dirks, axes and other weapons lined the walls along side suits of armor that Harry suspected were enchanted. He could feel it somehow….and the fact that a few of them twitched when he walked by.

What really impressed Harry and Tonks were the tapestries. Several walls had huge tapestries depicting acts of valor done by both muggles and wizards. Like wizarding pictures, the tapestries moved, but unlike the photos, they told the whole story.

It was almost like watching a movie. The figures all moved and did battle while following the group down the hall. It even showed the parties after the victories. The Le Fays decided that they really had to look at more of those.

Then a somewhat haunting sound found its way to Harry's ears. It seemed to whisper to his soul in a way that music never had before.

"Tammy, what's that music?"

The elf replied with a grin.

"Ach, you've heard the bagpipes. This castle has been a refuge of the brave for centuries. We have many ghosts that reside here because they didn't feel right moving on until Scotland was free. Some decided to stay on longer. Many times they decide to stay in the castle itself. Centuries ago, the King of England made a law saying it was treasonous to play the bagpipes. It was the sweetest treason ever committed and many pipers refused to stop. Bagpipes mean a lot to the Scots and no bloody Englishmen would tell them to stop. You can guess what happened. To this day, they serenade us with the sweetest music ever played."

Harry looked like he was on the verge of tears of joy and pain.

"Music? This isn't just music. Music is sound. This is…I don't know what it is."

"It's magical, lad. Bagpipes played with magic can do many things. The pipers are welcoming you home. Not be presumptuous, but was your home a good one before."

A shake of a head.

"That explains it. The music is telling you that this is home. Your magic belongs here and so do you. That's what you feel. It's a grand feeling isn't it? To be home?"

"You're…you're right. It's incredible."

Harry took a look over at Tonks. She had heard the music too and looked pretty emotional.

"Nym, love, what's the music telling you? I know you're parents loved you."

She turned and pulled him into a hug.

"It says that I'm safe. It says that it's safe to be me. My powers won't be a problem here."

They just stayed there holding each other for a while.

Now, the Scottish are an incredibly emotional people. They had arrived at the place Tammy was taking them, but he didn't want to disturb them. He gave them a minute, but they had to meet her.

"I really hate to break this up and I mean that, but we're here and you have to meet the Lady of the House."

Griphook answered this one.

"This is the second time you've mentioned the Lady of the House. There aren't supposed to be any Le Fays left who is this Lady."

Then a clearly feminine voice rang out with a Scottish tinge to it.

"That would be myself, Lady Morgana Le Fay. Welcome to my home."

**So what did you guys think?**

**Read and Review. I respond to all of them that aren't just "good job" or something like that.**


	12. Just Deserts

**Time for chapter twelve. I hope you enjoy it, but first I want to say a few things. I want to apologize to silo666. A while ago, he asked if I could put Morgana Le Fay in this story. I said yes and I have. As I explained last chapter, Morgana moved to Scotland to be with Merlin. I didn't make that clear enough and when silo questioned me about it I messed up the answer. I said I just changed it and he didn't like the fact that I screwed around with history. I don't know what I was thinking when I said that. Morgana is French, but she moved to Scotland. Thank you.**

Just Deserts

"That would be myself, Morgana Le Fay. Welcome to my home."

To say that Harry, Tonks and Griphook were shocked was an understatement. How could Morgana be alive? She was from Merlin's time for crying out loud. Harry didn't know if he should bow or not because he _was_ Lord Le Fay. Tonks had latched onto his arm with a death grip and Griphook was just staring.

She looked to be somewhere in her mid forties with a regal sort of beauty to her. She had dark, curly hair that fell to her lower back and a look on her face that showed her annoyance with the reaction her appearance received.

"Before you all bombard me with questions, I'll get the obvious ones out of the way. Yes, I did die a long time ago. The familial magic of the castle brought me back when Harry was born. I am the only one who can teach him to use his new magic. I appear this way because I choose to and my accent is Scottish because I lived here for years before my death. Did I miss anything?"

With that opening explanation out of the way, the trio had calmed down somewhat. What she said made sense and allowed their minds to accept her presence, but it certainly didn't explain everything.

"Lady Le Fay," Harry began. "I hope you don't mind me saying this, but history tells us that you betrayed Arthur and Merlin. Is it true?"

Morgana looked like she had been slapped in the face. Her eyes smoldered with an inner fire of indignation. Those fools thought to accuse her of their downfall?

"That's what they say? They say I caused their deaths? They say I ruined Camelot? Arthur was my brother! I could never harm him. Never! And Merlin…"

Her voice trailed off, robbed of its righteous fury. The fight seemed to go out of her and tears began to form at the corners of her eyes.

"I loved Merlin. He was everything to me. That's why my castle is here. I left everything I knew behind. I did it all for him. We weren't just in love. We were bonded. We have a soul bond. Can you possibly understand what that means? God, I miss him…so…much."

All of her bearing was gone. She wasn't a regal, mysterious figure anymore. She was a woman who was missing half of her soul. Tears ran freely down her face. This was the woman who had supposedly destroyed the utopia of Camelot? There was no way that was possible.

Somewhat hesitantly, Harry stepped over the Morgana and pulled her into a tight hug. He looked over at his wife, who gave him a nod and a small smile.

"Sh, sh. It's ok, Morgana. You are bound to him. You'll see him again. There is no way to destroy a bond that strong."

Through her tears, the Lady Le Fay looked questioningly at her descendant.

"How-how do you know so much about the bond?"

Harry gave her a smile and motioned for Tonks to step over.

"Morgana, I'd like you to meet someone. This is my wife Nymphadora Tonks Potter. We are bonded."

Morgana's head shot up in surprise. Bonds weren't exactly common in her time and shouldn't have changed. But Harry was obviously powerful so that wasn't too surprising. But she definitely had a question.

"But, you're so young. You must have been together since you were small children for the bond to have formed. It took Merlin and I several years of marriage before we got that far."

Harry looked sheepishly at his feet. Why was everything he did so different from everyone else?

"Um, actually, we've only been together for a month. We formed the bond a day or two after we confessed to each other."

Morgana was silent for several moments, trying to process what she just heard. What he said should have been impossible. Love takes time to grow doesn't it? Even if he started out with a lot of love, there was always a seed a doubt that would have to be eliminated. She questioned him on it and he recounted the story of showing Tonks how he felt in his mindscape.

She just stopped, looked at him, and then looked at Tonks. This was too much for one day.

"Forgive me for being rude, but I hate being seen this way. I'm going to sleep, calm down and process what you've told me. I wish you two many happy years. Tammy will show you to your room. Goodnight."

And then she was gone. She didn't even a noise.

Sensing their confusion, Tammy, who had remained silent the whole time out of respect, decided to explain.

"The Lady is completely in tune with the house and its magics as a result of it summoning her back. Come on now, lad. Grab your lass and I'll take you tae your rooms. I'll be back in a wee bit tae take care of yer goblin friend. Let's go."

As they walked through the now dark halls of the castle, Tonks moved over to her husband and held him to her tightly. It almost seemed to Harry that she was scared. He figured he'd wait until they were in there room to deal with it. He just enjoyed the closeness and pulled her against him. Soon they arrived at their suite and Tammy bade them good night.

"If you need anythen, lad, just call fer auld Tammy. Good Night."

As soon as Tammy closed the door behind him, Nym grabbed Harry and kissed him forcefully. There was a hint of desperation in the kiss as she pushed him on to the bed. She grabbed his head, running her fingers through his hair and attacking his mouth. When she broke off and started to remove clothes Harry tried to speak up.

"Love, why are yo-"

He was quickly silenced by another kiss.

"Not now, my love. I need you."

Taking the hint, he shut up and performed his husbandly duties. (You perverts thought I was going to give you smut didn't you?) Afterwards, when Tonks was cuddled into Harry's chest with his strong arms around her, she finally spoke.

"Harry, I saw today what'll happen to me if we're separated. Promise me you won't let that happen. Promise you'll always be here with me," she begged, pulling his arms tighter around her.

Harry leaned down and kissed the top of her head. He loved her so much. He couldn't bear the thought that he might cause her to suffer. He pulled her tighter into his chest. She was his everything. He swore then and there that she came first. The world wasn't as important.

"I promise. I'll always be here."

Neither realized it, but as they fell asleep, something happened.

The bond progressed.

—The Next Morning—

The pair woke to the sound of bagpipes playing a joyful tune. It was a rather pleasant way to wake up. Harry stole a morning kiss and the pair got ready for the day. As they left the room, their nostrils were assaulted by a large variety of smells, and as they hadn't had supper the day before…they were more than a little puckish. They followed the smell to a dining room and found two places set at the table with a huge plate of food at each spot.

They tucked in like ravenous beasts. Most of the food was familiar. There was a square sausage, black pudding, fired tomatoes, some kind of scone, bacon, eggs, and a large…thing.

Harry nervously took a bite of it and was surprised to find that it had a nutty texture and tasted amazing. He instantly started eating the rest. Tonks, seeing his reaction, followed suit. They finished breakfast quickly and they were stuffed.

"Tammy!"

CRACK

"Ye called, lady?"

"Yes, did you make the breakfast? It was wonderful."

"That I did, lad, but it was jest a full Scottish breakfast."

"Well it was delicious but what kind of scone was that and that thing with the nutty texture."

"It was a tattie scone. Just a scone with potatoes and salt. And that "thing" as you called et, was haggis."

"What's haggis?" asked Tonks.

The little house elf got a mischievous gleam in his eye as he answered them.

"Well a haggis is a small animal with one set of legs longer than the other so that it can stand on the steep highlands without falling over."

Harry just rolled eyes.

"We're not tourists, Tammy. What the hell is haggis?"

"Jest remember, you asked. It's sheep's liver, heart, and lungs minced with onions oatmeal, suet, spices, and broth all boiled in sheep's stomach for a few hours."

Tonks looked like she was about to see the haggis again and her face literally turned green.

"You mean I ate all that?"

Harry tilted his head back and roared with laughter.

"Come on, you liked it before you knew what was in it. Besides, you eat field rations. They can't be much worse."

Her stomach settled somewhat, she stuck her tongue out at her husband.

"Oh yeah? Well what do you think of it?"

He shrugged.

"I've definitely had to eat worse. I lived at the Dursely's remember?"

It was a switch had been turned. The jovial mood was sucked right out of the room. Tonks' eyes were downcast as she remembered once again how close she had come to losing Harry and how those horrible excuses for human flesh had treated.

Instantly, Harry was at her side, pulling her to him.

"Nym, it's ok. I'm fine. Look at me. Come on, look at me."

She slowly turned her face to his.

"You can't keep reacting like this whenever they come up. Besides, I wouldn't change anything about how I grew up."

She looked at him in disbelief. He had been beaten as a child and starved, for Pete's sake.

"Why the bloody hell would you say something like that?"

"Because my life made me the person who you fell in love with and I wouldn't risk that for the world."

This was too much. He'd just said that she was worth years of abuse and pain. She turned and sobbed into his shoulder, muttering over and over again.

"I'm not worth it. I'm not worth it. I don't deserve you."

"Hey, enough of that, Nym. You are worth it and so much more. If anything, I don't deserve you. I'm just a kid with a ton of baggage, but I love you. Never forget it."

"Never doubt it. I love you too, baggage and all," she said, with a small smile through her tears.

They leaned in for a slow loving kiss to show that they both meant what they said. They pulled back and Tonks rested against Harry's chest.

The moment was ruined however, when they heard Tammy bawling his eyes out.

"Tha' was the most beautiful theng ah've ever seen."

Seeing the little house elf crying like that was too much after the seriousness of the previous mood. The couple began laughing at the sight and soon the gloom was dispersed.

"Ya know, when he's crying like this, he really reminds of your mate Dobby."

Harry let out a chuckle at the thought of his eccentric friend and a thought struck him.

"Tammy, would you mind if I brought on another house elf? My friend Dobby would love working here."

The house elf replied with something akin to relief.

"Thankee kindly, lad. I'm the only house elf for this whole castle and it gets a mite tiring sometimes. Call him up."

"Dobby!"

With a crack, the exuberant house elf popped into the dining room. Looking around he spotted Harry and dove at him with a gleeful shout.

"Master Harry! Dobby is being so glad to be seeing you. Professor Dumblydore is being most worried about master Harry's disappearing. He is saying master isn't being at the Durley's."

"That's right, Dobby. I left the Dursley's house with Tonks because they didn't treat me right. They beat me and starved and treated me about the same way the Malfoys treated you."

Then twin shouts rang out.

"Filthy muggles harmed, Master Harry!"

Slowly, both house elves turned to look at each other, seemingly appraisingly each other.

"Why is master Harry's house elf wearing clothes? Is he being free too?"

Tammy gave light chuckle to that.

"Nay, lad. I was given money tae get ma' own clothes. They didn't give me any. A'm a proper house elf, unlike yourself."

"Well, I's is being wanting to bond with master Harry, but his Hermione keeps him from accepting. She was trying to be making the Hogwarts house elves free by using nasty tricks."

Tammy turned to Harry questioningly.

"Master, who's this Hermione lass the unbound one keeps talking about?"

Harry sighed heavily. Why were his mornings so depressing?

"Hermione was my best friend until recently. She's Dumbedore's blind lackey and she's jealous of Tonks. She tried to make the house elves free by tricking them into picking up clothing."

Tammy's eyes widened in shock.

"She mustn't be doing tha'. House elves need the bond tae live. We cannae live more than five years without one. Do you ken? Ach, can't do anythen about it now. Your friend'll do, but he should bond with you soon. Come on, I'll take you to the Lady."

"Wait," said Dobby. "Can Winky be coming here too? She is wanting to be a proper house elf again and…I…is…um being courting her."

Dobby was treated to a hearty slap on the back by his Scottish counterpart.

"So yer one for the lasses, eh? Good fer you. I think we'll get along jest fine."

Harry laughed out loud at the scene. It was like male bonding for house elves.

"It's fine with me. But right now, I need to see Morgana. It's good to see you again Dobby."

"It is being good to see master Harry again too. Now go with Tammy. I will be helping cleaning up."

All three left the hall laughing at the seriousness Dobby displayed with his last statement.

"You've got some interesting friends, lad, but he'll be loyal to you til the last. Ach, I fergot tae mention, yer goblin pal had to go back to Gringott's for some reason. Says he'll be back tonight."

—Gringotts—

"Order, order. I call this goblin court to order, Director Ragnock presiding. Albus Dumbledore, you are charged with abuse, theft, forgery, fraud and ignoring the last will and testament pertaining to a goblin friend. How do you plead? And before you answer, remember that we can and will use veritaserum if we suspect any falsehoods."

To say Dumbledore was upset would be an understatement. He had been taken forcibly and quite legally from his office at Hogwarts to a goblin court room in the bowels of Gringotts. Goblin law was harsh, but he was however confident that he could lie his way through. They could have no evidence and as long as they couldn't tell he was lying, they would not use veritaserum.

"Not guilty, your honor."

"Your honor," spoke a voice unknown to Dumbledore, "As the goblin friend of the absent injured party, I request the use of veritaserum on the accused as is my right."

Ragnock nodded and gravely and banged his gavel.

"Administer veritaserum to the accused."

Before he could protest, Dumbledore was restrained by several strong goblins and a spoonful of veritaserum was forced down his throat.

"Albus Dumbledore, did you commit the crimes you are accused of yes?"

"Yes"

"Why did you commit each one respectively."

"I committed the abuse and ignored the will so that Harry would die in his battle with Voldemort."

Those in attendance were shocked. They didn't exactly know what they expected, but it certainly wasn't this.

"Elaborate please."

"If Harry remained alive, he would prove to be a hindrance to my uniting of the Magical World. By subjecting him to abuse and keeping him from his rightful guardians, he would have little attachment to the world. Before the final battle, I would, with a heavy heart, teach a magical overload spell that would kill him in a large explosion of magical power."

The crowd was in shock now. The hero of the light was really a villain?

"Why did you commit theft and fraud?"

"I needed the money to help fund my vigilante organization, the Order of the Phoenix, whose purpose is to combat Lord Voldemort."

"This court has heard enough. Has the jury reached a verdict?"

"We have your honor. We find Albus Dumbledore, by his own confession through Veritaserum, to be guilty of all charges and recommend a life sentence without parole, in the magical repression dungeons in the deepest layer of Gringotts."

"The verdict and sentence are confirmed. Albus Dumbledore, as a convicted felon, all of your titles have been stripped and your vaults and family name have been given to Harry James Potter as reparations. This court is adjourned."

Dumbledore was sitting in shock. It was all over. He was ruined and, according to his mind, the magical world was doomed. He hung his head in shame as he was taken to his cell.

So ends the tale of Albus Dumbledore.

Or is it?


	13. Knowledge

**This will be a fast update for me. This is the beginning of Harry's education at Le Fay Castle. Hope you enjoy.**

Knowledge

—Le Fay Castle—

"I wish to apologize for my unseemly behavior last night," began Morgana. "My only excuse is that I have had no true human contact for fifteen years and for those years I have been separated from my bonded."

Tonks looked at her and blinked. Did she really think they were offended by here crying? If anything Tonks was impressed by how much she cared for Merlin. It allowed her to be trusted more.

"Morgana, we don't care that you cried. It just means you're human and it actually put at ease a bit. Right, Har?"

"Absolutely. Now, didn't you have something to speak to us about?"

A thin smile graced her features at their kind words. The pair reminded her of Merlin and herself when they were young. Harry had those same eyes that showed aged beyond their time that she had seen in her beloved. Nymphadora was a bit a fire cracker and not very different from Morgana.

"I thank for your kind words, but it was still rude of me. However, I called you here to talk about your training. There is much here for you to learn before you return to the outside world."

Harry coughed and chimed in here.

"Not to be rude, but there are only two weeks of summer vacation left before I have to return to Hogwarts. I don't think that we can achieve that much without a timeturner."

Morgana let out a refined chuckle, the type you would expect to hear from someone used to the upper echelons of society.

"Oh, we won't use anything so crude as a timeturner. Merlin invented those as a child to help him with pranking."

Harry's jaw dropped a bit. One of the most disruptive types of magical objects had been created for pranking? The twins would just love that.

Morgana's smile grew a little at the reaction.

"Why does everyone think Merlin was so responsible? He was playful and used his magic to make himself and others happy. Anyway, as I said, we won't use timeturners. The training halls here are under a stasis spell. Merlin put it there to help train knights for Arthur when they were necessary. But before we send you there, I have some things I want to teach you. Follow me."

They followed Morgana until she came to an open courtyard where she sat on a cut off stump.

"I want to teach you two about the nature of magic. What do you know about it?"

Tonks, having been raised in the magical world, decided to field that question. It was incredibly simple.

"Magic is energy that is activated and manipulated by the use of wands and incantations."

With a look on her face that seemed to be showing smug satisfaction Morgana responded simply,

"Wrong. Now let's give your husband a chance. Harry, what do think magic is?"

At first he didn't have an answer. He probably would have answered the same way Tonks had at first but that was wrong. What did she want? So magic wasn't just energy manipulated by wands and spells. Maybe…

"It's energy Tonks got that part right, but it doesn't make sense for it to rely on the wand movements. Wait a second. That's it. It's pure energy! The wand movements just give it structure right? I mean, the focus makes it easier, but the spells help us to focus. Am I right?"

The ancient witch was smiling brightly now. He was so much like Merlin.

"Exactly. Magic is just energy. We use spells to focus our magic because our minds aren't nearly powerful enough to focus the energy on its own. You have to use a staff now because of the boost you got from the family magic. Tonks didn't get it, because in your society today, the only type of magic used is witchcraft or wizardry which exclusively uses spells."

"Wait, today's society? You mean it was different in your time?"

Morgana laughed outright now. How could this boy understand the nature of magic in moments, but not have made this connection yet?

"It's different now. It's been different since you gained the family's old magic. Try to cast a charm."

Confused, Harry brought up his staff and tried to cast a simple tickling charm at his wife.

_Rictusempra!_

Nothing happened.

He looked questioningly at Morgana before trying again.

_Rictusempra!_

Nothing happened.

"Why isn't it working?"

"It doesn't work because you're not a wizard anymore."

Harry and Tonks froze in shock. He wasn't a wizard anymore? He lost his magic?

"Oh calm down, you two. He still has magic and quite a lot of it. Like I said, you're not a wizard anymore. You're a druid."

"A druid? You mean those guys with the the goat horns on their head, cloaks, staves and are terribly afraid of little white rabbits?"

Morgana was confused and Tonks was dying of laughter.

"Traditionally, that is the dress of a druid, but I do not understand. What is this about rabbits?"

Tonks answered her while trying to calm down a little bit. How do you explain cultural references to someone from the time of King Arthur?

"It's a reference from a famous muggle comedic group. Don't worry, He's joking."

An indignant look came across her features.

"You should not joke about being a druid. It is very prestigious and it is quite a responsibility."

"Alright, I'll be serious. But what is a druid? We never learned anything about them in History of Magic. Weren't druids just pagan priests?"

"Ugh, don't they teach you anything in schools anymore?" Clearly she was frustrated. "They were not pagan priests. Some of them were, but it had nothing to do with the druidic magic. The difference between a normal wizard and a druid is the source of their magic and its application. Ordinary witches and wizards manipulate energy created from their magical cores. Druids have magical cores,but you use the power it grants you to use the energies of nature."

A look of understanding dawned over Harry's features. He could tell the differences.

"So, wizards use their own energy, but druids take the energy of nature."

Morgana gave her pupil an approving nod.

"That's a good way to summarize it. Now, the other key difference is what you use the magic to do. Wizards use the magic for very precise spells. Druids can use nature's energies to aid them in their own tasks. But you can also use it to control nature in a way, if your powerful enough that it."

"Ok, I understand. Magic does everything for wizards and druids do things with the aid of magic. But, if I'm powerful enough I can manipulate nature. What exactly does that mean?"

Finally! Morgana had been waiting for him to ask something like that.

"That is why we are outside. I am going to teach you and your wife-"

"Wait, I'm a druid too? But I didn't get the power, Harry did."

Morgana gave a very unladylike snort.

"Bollocks, you two have soul bond. Your magic is linked. Didn't something happen recently where you felt a change in your magic?"

Tonks paused a minute. It sounded right, but when had something like that happened? Got it!

"Harry kissed me right after he gained the family magic. It felt different then, but I couldn't put my finger on it."

"Well that's when it must have happened. I gained this magic from Merlin. It's native to the Celtic peoples and I obviously don't count. Now, back to what I was saying, I brought you out to this courtyard to show you something of the magic and how it works. I'll help you find it the first time so you can get a feel of it. Now sit down on the ground and close your eyes."

They sat on the grass and Harry got into a meditative position.

"Good," she said gently, "Now feel your magic and focus it through your staff like you did to find the castle. Tonks, use your wand. Now, don't look for anything. Try to feel the energy you feel around you."

If she said anything else, Harry didn't hear her. He felt the energy that was present the first time, but instead of trying to control like he had, he tried a different tack. Harry pushed himself into the energy. Instantly, everything changed. The world around him vivid in a way he could never have imagined. He could feel everything.

The joy of a bird on the wing

The fear of prey being stalked

The sense of triumph form a kill

Then he heard a whisper. He didn't know where it came from, so he looked around, trying to find who would be speaking to him. He could find no one, until he remembered what he was doing. He was communing completely with nature. Could it be speaking to him?

More importantly, could it be more than one voice. He tried to focus and managed to hear the separate voices and words of nature.

The wind was singing to him in a high pitch. "Come with me and know true freedom! I can show you the wonders of world, if you take flight. Listen to my song!"

The water murmured in his ear. "Learn to be swift and never give up. Look at me and know that eventually you can wear down the greatest boulder. Never give up."

Then he heard the earth. It was a chorus of voices, crying out to him for his attention.

The tress would sing a moaning voice, "You are our brother. Behold how a seedling can take root and become a mighty oak. Look at the druid who has come into his own."

The earth itself used its voice to tell the new druid, "Look at the dirt you tread upon. It is made of everything in existence. All contribute to the whole. Know this well, the same is true for yourself and all. Everything in your life will add to you and shape you. You cannot be who you are without the paths you have traveled."

Finally the rocks spoke to him. "Come to us, brother! You have withstood the onslaught of the elements. You have stood firm and made smooth by the whirling currents around you. Come to us, brother, and we will tell you the secrets of the ages for we are old and have seen much."

He wondered at the strength of calls being made and he acknowledged them all. He listened to their counsel and paid head to their warnings. When he had, they cried out as one,

"Brother, there is a taint in the land. Some evil spreads, turning man against man and creature against creature. We will aid you in all your days. Please purge the taint!"

The cry was so intense and the sadness to immense that tears came to the druid and he made an oath.

"I swear, I shall remove the taint with your aid. Its name is Voldemort and I will purge him. So mote it be!"

The sadness he had felt melted away to be replaced with shining hope and joy as the world around him rejoiced. The voice returned the world as one.

"Choose one of us brother. One of us who will answer your call without aid! Choose one of us and be master!"

He thought for a long while, torn between the groups. He did not want to choose.

"What of my mate? Will she be granted the same choice?"

"No," spoke the voices. "She cannot hear us as you can. She can use the energy and we will aid her, but it is you we look to. Choose now!"

"I choose the plants, to be my aid. They will be my arms and my hands, my ears and my eyes. So I choose."

He felt a great rejoicing pouring from the trees and the brush.

"We thank you for choosing us, brother! We would mark you as our own so that all may heed your call. Which of us would be your mark?"

Then, through his mind, marched all of the plants of the land who wished to be his mark. There were mighty trees and lowly brush but one stuck out to him as if there was a pull on his soul. Looking towards it, he saw a simple Scottish thistle. It is a simple plant, small yet incredibly hardy. It is beautiful but rough.

Perfect.

"I choose the thistle."

The purple thistle came to him and pushed against his right arm. Then a design spread over the arm and it seemed as if his arm were covered in thistle.

"The plants will aid you without your staff. We thank you and send you back to your body. Please return to us for we have much to teach you."

And then the world turned white and he knew no more.

—"Real" World—

"Harry? Harry? Are you alright? Come on, Harry. Wake up? Please wake up!"

Harry slowly opened his eyes to see his wife on the verge of tears, shaking him.

"What's wrong, love?"

Her eyes snapped to his face and her eyes immediately showed relief. He was alright! She instantly jumped on him kissing him over and over again.

"Never…do…that…again. Understand?"

She finally slowed down when air became an issue. Then she hugged him to her as hard as she could.

"What's wrong, Nym? Why are you so upset?"

She looked him right in the eye and Harry gulped. She was pissed in the American sense of the word.

"What happened? What happened? You've been unconscious for ten hours! That's what happened? You were glowing, the air was going crazy, I thought we were having an earthquake, and it looked like the plants were dancing. What the bloody hell were you doing?"

Ten hours? He had been out for ten hours? He should have guessed by the fact that it was dark out, but still. It had only felt like moments to him. Looking down, Tonks had gotten through her anger was the picture of relief, relaxing in her husband's arms. He buried his face into her hair and just sat there for a minute. She needed to calm a bit more before he told his story.

"I was so scared."

Harry looked down at Tonks.

"I was scared that something was happening to you. I thought you might be…"

"Hey, hey, none of that. I promised you I'd always be here for you and I always keep my promises. Now, do you want to hear what happened?"

A nod

"Alright, you see, I managed to push my mind…"

By the time his story was over, Morgana was sitting stone still. His account was very similar to Merlin when he told her about his first time communing with nature, but there had been no offer of partnership. Harry was really special.

"Harry, that experience is greater than the one Merlin himself had. Now, I know you just had a ten hour nap, but I am tired and wish to retire for the evening. Goodnight."

And she disappeared.

The couple followed suit, though less dramatically and found themselves cuddled up in bed.

"You know, love, I've been thinking," said Harry.

"Be careful. You might strain something." Tonks couldn't resist.

"Hon, I'm being serious. After today, I finally let myself think about the future. I've always put it off. It wasn't because I was afraid of Voldemort killing me. For a while that was even appealing. It was the thought of what would happen if I win. What good would I be? No one would care after a few years and I'd be useless. But now I've decided something."

"What's that, love?" She was genuinely curious. It had to be important for him to be talking like this.

"I have power and money, a lot of it. I have influence and unique abilities. Above all, I have influence and it's time I stopped running form it. I'm going to use it to make a difference. Sure I'm going to stop Voldemort, but he's just a terrorist. I want to help our world in a way that no one will ever forget. I want to…"

"What? You want to make it what?"

"I want to make it a better place for our children." He said quietly.

She rolled over and looked into his eyes.

"Do you mean it? You want children with me?" she asked, daring to sound hopeful.

"Yes, I mean it. I mean more than anything except my love for you."

Tears were in both their eyes.

She kissed him and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

Life was perfect.

—The Bowels of Gringotts—

Albus Dumbledore sat in silence and misery. He couldn't feel magic anymore. There were suppressors everywhere that prevented it. It was like he was missing an arm. The silence was driving him mad and he didn't know what to do.

Then the silence was broken.

There was a large banging sound and footsteps.

There were screams of pain and death and then they stopped.

The door was blown off its hinges and a figure stepped into the darkness.

"Do you need a hand, old man?"

Dumbledore was flooded with relief.

"It is good to see you old friend."

**So there it is. Virtual cookies to the people who can identify the movie reference and can guess who rescued Dumbles. Read and Review.**


	14. Restoration

**Hey, guys. It's time for another chapter.**** Man, I'm updating a lot. Blame one of my friends. She likes the story and won't let me be lazy anymore. **** This will only be the second time I'll have updated three times in one week and to be honest, those chapters were short whereas these are decent length. Also, response last chapter was weak. I got a lot of hits, but not that many people reviewed which surprised me. That chapter was my favorite. Oh well.**

**I'd like to recommend a story to you guys, written by my good friend, mystic monkeys. It's called ****Two Birds Stoned at Once****. It's a really dark Draco/Ginny fic. Check it out. It's really good.**

**http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/4988697/1/Two_Birds_Stoned_At_Once**

**Just remove the dots and it should work.**

Restoration

Harry awoke early the next morning, eager to continue training with his druidic powers. Tonks was still asleep, so gave her a light kiss trying not to wake her up. He must have disturbed her a little because she muttered something like "Do you think I should get a lip ring?" Fighting a chuckle, Harry went out into the crisp morning air of the Highlands. After his experience the day before, it truly felt right to be there. He had connected with the land on a deeper level than he had ever thought possible.

But something was bothering him. It had been like a splinter in his mind since the night he had saved Nym from the Dementors. Why did Pettigrew show up as a Patronus? Wasn't he a traitor? Didn't he betray the Potters to Voldemort?

Then a thought struck him. Nature had told him of a taint. Maybe in the druid state he could sense it too, but that wouldn't do him much good. He used his staff as a conduit for his mind into nature. He couldn't go anywhere.

But wait. Didn't he and Morgana establish that magic didn't have those limits that most thought it did? No rule was absolute. Perhaps he could send his spirit instead of just his mind.

He sat down on the ground and crossed his legs with his staff in his lap. Instead of trying to push his mind, he searched for magic inside of him. Magic is tied to the souls of those who can use it. If there was a way to put his spirit into the druid state, it would involve his personal magic. After a few moments, he found. It was more a sense of warmth and energy than anything else, but he tried to move it around like he had the magic around the castle and was gratified to see that it worked. Harry attempted to push his magic just like his mind and POP!

Harry found himself in the druid state, but this time he had a body. Or at least, it looked like a body. He looked more like a ghost than anything else. Then he looked down and got a little startled. It's not every day that you look at your body from a different perspective.

Thinking about it, he realized it could be dangerous to just leave his body helpless out in the air.

"Earth, my friend, I ask that you protect my body while I am here. I need your help."

There was a pause and then a deep rumbling came up from the ground. Suddenly a dome of rock came up and surrounded the body on the grass.

"We hear, brother, and we obey. No harm shall come to you. We sense that you come seeking knowledge. What troubles your mind, brother? We know much and will tell what we can."

"How did you know that came with questions?"

A rumble that somehow resembled a chuckle came from the depths of the earth.

"We have existed since the dawn of time. We have seen and observed man since he was placed on his earth and given dominion over us. We know you better than you know yourselves. Speak, what is your question?"

"I was told of a taint spread by Voldemort. Can I sense it?"

"You can do more than that, favored of the spirits."

A surprised look came over Harry's ghostly features.

"What do you mean by calling me that? The spirits have given me a gift, but they said nothing of this."

Another rumble issued forth. This was strong as an earthquake but it was a laugh nonetheless.

"Your druidic power changes everything, brother. The spirits made you like them in several ways. Your powers allowed you to separate into a spirit to come here. Do you think that that is all of the differences? Listen to the way you speak to me now. Brother, you wax like a minstrel of the old days when you speak to us. I am sure more will become evident in time. But now is the time for the answer to your question, brother. In your mortal body, you can sense the taint around those who are doomed to the camp of the one you call Voldemort. While here, you may see the taint as a sickly purple aura."

Yes! This was the perfect way to put the Pettigrew matter to rest.

"I need to find and test one who I once believed to have betrayed my parents. Can you help me?"

"Ask the wind. I may know where the location of the one you seek, but the wind is ever moving and can take you there."

Then the earth spoke no more. Suddenly a loud whistling of wind blew around Harry. He was lifted up into the air and questions were whispered into his ears.

"Who is the one whom you seek? We will help you in your quest."

"I seek Peter Pettigrew."

"Show us your mind. We will find him."

Harry felt a pressure against his mind and fought the knee jerk reaction to fight it. He let it in and let it the images of Pettigrew he kept in his mind.

"Ah! We know where to find this one. We will take you! To the skies!"

A whirlwind formed around Harry and he was lifted in the air and soon, he soaring over Scotland and into England. He was traveling so fast that he gave up trying to see where they were. The feeling was glorious, but it had to end and he was let down in front of an old dilapidated shack in the middle of a forest.

"None can see you in this form. Do what you must. We will answer your call and return you to your body."

And then he was alone. The wind stopped speaking.

Slowly, he walked up to the house and was surprised to find that when he tried to open the door, his hand went through the wood. Ignoring the odd feeling, he slipped through the door and found Peter Pettigrew asleep on a couch. Instantly, Harry felt rage building up at the sight of the man who had betrayed his parents. He was a traitor. He should be dealt with.

Then he got a grip on his emotions. He remembered why he was there and looked for the aura that the earth had spoken of, but…he just couldn't find it. He searched all over and couldn't find a hint of purple. But something still seemed wrong. But what?

Then he saw it. There was an almost invisible layer over the man's head. It looked like a shell of some kind.

And it was purple, but it wasn't an aura. It seemed familiar somehow.

Then it clicked.

It was similar to the look of the enchantment over the castle. How was he supposed to get rid of it? A thought struck him. It was crude, but he didn't have many options.

Harry put his hand over the shell and tried to grab it. As soon as it came into to contact with his hand, it shattered.

"Now I need to talk to him, but I can't do that now." he thought. "I've got it! I'll have Tammy or Dobby summon him once I've gotten home."

He called to the wind and found himself next to his body. He slipped back into it and ran back into the castle.

"Dobby!"

With a POP, the house elf appeared.

"You called, Master Harry?"

"Yes, Dobby. I want you to go fetch Peter Pettigrew."

Then a scowl came across Dobby's face.

"But Master Harry, Pettigrew is being an enemy, sir! Dobby was seeing him when Dobby served the Malfoys."

"It's ok, Dobby. There was magic around his mind and I want to see him."

The scowl slowly left the creature's small features and he nodded hesitantly.

"Master Harry is knowing best. I will be fetching him."

He snapped his fingers and disappeared the same way he arrived.

Utterly exhausted, Harry sat down heavily on a couch. He was about to meet with a man who supposedly betrayed his parents. A man who had been one of his father's best friends. He was a marauder.

A marauder!

Remus!

Harry smiled at the thought of his best DADA teacher. The werewolf was one of the only people that seemed genuinely concerned about him. Then another thought struck him. His brain was getting a little tender.

"Tammy!"

POP

"Is there anythen I can be doing fer you this morning, laddy?"

"Yes, we're going to have company soon. You don't need to make any food, but I want you to fetch a friend of mine. His name is Remus Lupin and he lives in Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. But before you get him, could make sure my wife is awake? I want her here for this as well."

The Scot nodded.

"Aye, laddy. I 'll snag your friend and wake yer lass."

He disappeared and left Harry alone for a few moments. He was praying that Tonks would be down before Dobby got back with Pettigrew. Somebody up there must have liked him, because his gorgeous wife plopped down on the couch next to him and leaned tiredly against him.

"Ugh, I love you, Har, but this had better be important. I enjoy my sleep."

Harry chuckled and kissed her lightly. She was so cute in the mornings.

"It is important love. It turns out that Peter Pettigrew was under a spell which I managed to break. He'll be here any moment. Remus will be here too."

The metamorph blinked.

Hard

"It is way too early for something that big. Are you sure?"

He nodded.

"Fine, I trust you, but I might fall asleep."

She yawned cutely and snuggled into his shoulder.

This incredibly cute moment was ruined by the simultaneous arrival of the house elves with their guests.

Pettigrew just stood there in subdued silence. Remus was another story.

"Harry? Where have you been? I've been so worried and-"

His eyes traveled to Pettigrew and his voice grew cold.

"You! What the bloody hell are you doing here! I'll kill you, you traitor."

He started to rush at Peter who didn't even move a muscle in his defense.

This wasn't how things were supposed to go!

"Tammy, stop him!" yelled Harry.

The small figure just snapped his fingers and Remus was frozen in place.

Harry stood up slowly and walked over to his former teacher.

"Moony, he had a spell on him. I broke it myself. I want to hear what he has to say. If I have Tammy release you, will you at least hear him out?"

He managed a small nod.

Harry nodded at Tammy and the werewolf was released.

"That was you?"

All eyes snapped to Peter.

"You broke that spell?"

Harry gave him a nod.

"Thank you. I don't deserve it after everything that's happened. I've done terrible things while serving the Dark Lord."

"Yeah, like betraying Lily and James, you bastard!" Remus snarled.

"No!" The hesitancy had disappeared from the rat animagus' voice.

"I never did that! I would never do anything to hurt them. James was my best friend. I wasn't even the secret keeper."

That was a shocking revelation.

"Then who was?" asked Harry.

"Dumbledore"

You could have heard a pin drop in the room.

"It was Dumbledore. James and Lily told each of us a different story in case Voldemort got his hands on us and they trusted that old man. I only know this because I worked for the Dark Lord for so long. Before that, before the whole mess, Dumbledore came to me and told me that he needed me to infiltrate Voldemort's forces and that he needed my consent to place a protection spell on me so that Voldemort couldn't read my thoughts. I agreed because I thought it was something James might have done."

Tears were slowly sliding down his face.

"That bastard was working with Voldemort. They have some kind of partnership. He needed a way to get rid of anyone who would have been a guardian for Harry. I don't know why. My joining Voldemort and fake death got rid of Sirius and Remus was discounted for his lycanthropy. That "protection spell" forced me to do the most terrible things. I saw everything I was doing! I hated myself for more than a decade. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry!"

He was now a blubbering mass on the floor.

Remus looked at Harry.

"I've heard him out. I have a free hand now?"

A nod

The marauder slowly made his way over to Peter.

He stood over the huddled form and stared. Peter was sure he was going to die.

Then Remus put out his hand.

Hesitantly, Pettigrew took and was instantly pulled into a crushing hug.

"I knew you didn't do it." Remus said with a tear going down his face. "I knew you couldn't have done it. There was no way you would have betrayed them. Merlin, I missed you old friend."

The two men cried out all the pain, the fear, the loneliness and self hatred the years had forced on them. It was finally over.

After they had calmed down, Peter made his way over to Harry.

"Thank you. You've given me back my life twice now. I'll do anything I can to repay you."

The druid stood and stroked his chin in thought.

"Are there any on Voldemort's side that could be swayed to join my side? To bring you up to speed, I have access to the Potter, Black, and Le Fay fortunes and the first druid in centuries."

A shocked Remus sent him a look that clearly said "we'll talk later."

The newly freed man paced slightly in thought.

"You 'd want someone with a good deal of influence who can be swayed by money power and the boost that comes from winning. I've got it!" he said, with a snap of his fingers.

Everyone in the room looked on expectantly.

"Lucius Malfoy"

**Didn't see that one coming did you? What do you think?**


	15. Legacy

Hey guys! Wow, it's been a while since I updated and I apologize profusely. In my defense, I have had good reason to be distracted. But you don't want to hear about my personal life or maybe you do, but I'm not posting it for the world to see. Anywho, I hope that you enjoy the chapter.

WARNING! I'm screwing with the horcrux idea for plot purposes. I'm not using it regularly but I am explaining them "incorrectly" for a reason.

Scope

"No, absolutely not!"

Peter took a step back at the force behind that statement. He had expected resistance to his suggestion, but an absolute refusal? But it wasn't the refusal that made him pause. It was the younger wizard who had said it. It was hard to believe that the impressive figure in front of him had been a terrified child just a few months before. The amount of authority behind his voice was shocking. But the former servant of Voldemort steeled his courage.

"Harry, you're being unreasonable. Why won't you at least consider Lucius Malfoy?"

Instantly he was faced with a piercing pair of green eyes. The burst of anger was gone from them, but there was a cool intensity to them now as he spoke.

"He is slime. He has tried to kill me several times and he is vile."

Now Pettigrew was confused. Why was Harry so angry about this? His reasons didn't even make sense.

"Harry, it was your idea to get someone from Voldemort's side. What you've said is true of all of the Death Eaters. What's so different about Malfoy?"

Lord Le Fay stalked around angrily.

"He's not just some thug who is with Voldemort for power. He actually believes in the whole pureblood supremacy. He's with the Dark Lord because he agrees with him. How can we trust him?"

Now it was starting to make sense to Peter. Now there was a good reason. And to be honest, he had no good answer to that issue.

Now, Pettigrew was appeased somewhat, but Tonks was not. She knew her husband far too well.

"Harry, stop lying to us."

He stopped dead in his tracks.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Tonks got up and wrapped her husband in a loving embrace.

"You know exactly what I mean. We're bonded at the soul, hun. That's not what you think. Come on. Why won't you work with him?"

And then silence reigned for a tense moment. Then an answer came in a low reply.

"Because the bastard tried to kill Ginny. It wasn't on orders for Voldemort. He tried to kill an innocent girl with an enchanted image of Voldemort before the git was even resurrected."

Now Remus, who had been feeling rather left out, perked up at his part. It rang a bell somewhere in his memory.

"What's this about? How did he try to kill Miss Weasely?"

After Harry had told his old professor about the events of his second year, the werewolf sat back in his chair, pale as a ghost.

"A horcrux, sweet Merlin, a horcrux."

"N-no way. Voldemort made a horcrux? More importantly, Harry destroyed one?"

Tonks was freaked out. She'd learned about horcruxes as part of the auror training, but for someone to make one…

Now Harry was confused.

"What's a horcrux and why are you all frightened out of your knickers?"

Lupin reached out his hand and placed it firmly on Harry's shoulder, looking him dead in the eye.

"Harry, if I tell you, you have to swear to never tell any of your classmates any of this. This is dark magic. Do you understand?"

A nod.

"A horcrux is an object in which a part of someone's soul is contained. In order to do it you have to literally tear off a piece of your soul by murdering someone in cold blood. It is incredibly dangerous, not to mention evil, but it makes it impossible to kill the person unless all of the horcruxes are gone."

A cold feeling seeped through Harry.

"So, Voldemort is immortal?"

Lupin's answer caused him to sigh in outright relief.

"Thank Merlin, no. You can only make two horcruxes. Any more would cause your entire soul to unravel. He used one up to stay alive after…well you know. And you destroyed the other one. But there's something else you should know about horcruxes."

Interested, the young lord gave his father's friend his full attention.

"Horcruxes are pieces of a soul, but they act as if they were complete souls. They don't work together with the original or take his commands. They try to influence nearby people to do their bidding. The obvious example would be young Miss Weasely, but it wouldn't be a far cry to say that Lucius was under the influence of the diary."

Harry stood up abruptly without making a sound and left the room. Remus made as if to follow before Tonks put a restraining hand on his arm.

"He'll be ok, Remus. He just needs time alone to sort things out."

It was obvious that Remus didn't like it, he didn't want to let his friend's son out of his sight again, but one look at Tonks told him that she wasn't that comfortable either but she knew what had to be done.

"I hope you're right, Tonks."

—With Harry—

Harry ran into the night, trying to run off his frustration and extra energy. He hated the Malfoy's but he had to admit that there was a lot he didn't know. What Lupin had said about the horcrux made sense, but….

He was a Malfoy!

After an hour or two, he managed to work through his anger and get down to what he actually knew about the Malfoys.

They were pureblood supremacists. Not exactly evil, but not good.

They were extremely proud of their family name and honor. Could that be why they joined with the Dark Lord?

Highly intelligent. Not all of Draco's good marks were from Snape's favoritism.

Loyal to Voldemort, but why?

And that was about it.

Thinking over his mental list a thought began to gnaw at Harry.

What if the Malfoy's were only with Voldemort because he had promised them that he would restore their house to its former glory?

It certainly fit. Voldemort was powerful, shared some of their views and, to be honest, was probably going to win the war before the whole Potter fiasco.

I can use that.

The idea surprised him some. Manipulation was supposedly a Slytherin thing, but then again, he had been a hairs breadth away from being one.

Harry quickly became lost in thought, planning out what he would say to Malfoy and was soon wandering aimlessly through the woods. When he finally came back to himself, he found himself in a large clearing.

But something about it made him pause. There was something off about it.

There was absolutely no sound.

No birds sang.

No small insects made noise.

The wind had disappeared and the trees were still.

Something wasn't right.

Suddenly, a bright light appeared in the center of the clearing, nearly blinding Harry. The air seemed to swirl, nearly forming a vortex, causing Harry's clothes to whip around. Slowly, the light receded and took on the shape of a man.

He was obviously old, as attested by the lines on his face, but he stood tall, dressed in long black robes that looked ragged towards the edges. In his hand was a large wooden staff that looked as if it were made from a gnarled tree with a twisted bulb at the end.

As Harry stared, the figure spoke out in a powerful voice,

"Who stands before, Diviciacus, former ruler of the Aedui and High Druid?"

High Druid? But all of the druids were dead except for Harry.

Then he saw it.

The grass under the man's feet didn't bend. It went right through.

Steeling himself, Harry mustered all of his pride as a lord and druid to respond.

"Harry Potter Le Fay, Lord of the Houses of Potter, Black, and Le Fay, druid."

As the last word passed Harry's lips, Diviciacus smiled broadly.

"So you're the one. Nature itself has been singing of your arrival, High Druid. As I said before, my name is Diviciacus. I was a lord of the Aedui, a Gallic nation around the time of Julius Caesar. I've been waiting for you."

"What do you mean waiting for me? I only came here by accident."

"There are no such things as accidents," he said with a kind smile. "I am to be your teacher for a short time. Have you noticed that the trees do not move?"

A nod

"That's because this place is outside of time. Or millennia, the druids have used this place to train new druids and the amount of tome that takes is extensive. The wind tells me you have learned how to travel out of your body and how to manipulate the elements. That's very impressive for how short a time you've had your powers. But I will have to teach you the more complex avenues of druidic magic. You have much to learn before you face your destiny."

"Is Voldemort really that powerful then?"

The Gallic druid stared at his new protégé…

And stared…

And stared…

And then burst out laughing uproariously.

"Harry, my boy, Voldemort is just a terrorist. Grindelwald was far worse. He was on the cusp of world domination before he was killed. Voldemort will be taken care of in due time, but you are meant for far greater things."

Harry felt like he'd been punched in the gut.

Voldemort wasn't his destiny? But his entire life had been revolving around Voldemort's plots and attacks.

"What could be greater than saving Great Britain?" he asked half indignantly and half curious.

The smile fell away from the ghost's lips.

"Why, saving the magical world, Harry. Do you have any idea what you've caused by gaining your druidic magic? You've sent out a shockwave, boy. Magic is waking up again! Witches and wizards have always existed, but they were ordinary. Magic in my day was much more diverse, special types of magical people existed, druids for example. But...something happened. Something began to taint the magic. Only the druids could sense it because nature literally speaks to us. I tried to warn the others that something had to be done, but they all scoffed. No one could believe that it was possible for that to happen, so I was ignored. Slowly, the others died out and witches and wizards, formerly the minority, became the only ones left. The magical world lost the luster that made it so special. But you being here changed all that."

"But wait, how was magic tainted? Is that even possible?"

Diviciacus sighed heavily and a look of supremer sorrow came across his ghostly features.

"That is a long tale, Harry, but one you should hear. Take a seat."

The old man sat down, which looked somewhat disconcerting as he sat on the air as if it were a chair. Ghosts don't need good lumbar support.

This, however didn't help Harry very much. He was after all, a physical being. A stump would have been enough, but it was a clearing.

Wait, a stump. A stump is a plant.

The young druid raised his hand with the thistles branded upon it and tried to will a stump into existence.

Noticing his charge's consternation, a small smile crossed Diviciacus's lips ad low chuckle rumbled from his chest.

"Don't try to force anything to grow. Try to talk to the plants with your mind, as if you're in the druid state. Focus."

Taking a deep breath he concentrated his thoughts on telling the plants to grow.

Come on, my friends, please.

Nothing happened.

He sent a questioning look to Diviciacus as if to say "What now?"

"Do you think they gave you that tattoo on your arm for nothing?" he said with a condescending tone. "Come on, son, focus your magic through your arm and command them to obey. The plants yielded themselves to you. Cal them to heel. Will them to obey. They serve you."

Harry straightened himself, held his arm aloft and focused his power. The druidic magic instantly responded to his desires and he felt it wash over him and up his arm. The thistles reacted instantly, moving and rustling as if real plants being blown by the wind. He was so focused that when he spoke, it wasn't with only his mind, but when he did it wasn't only his. It sounded like the groaning of the earth, the rushing of the winds, the roar of the waters and rustling of leaves. It was nature taking a single voice!

Obey my commands!

His eyes glowed white as he commanded the forest and it responded.

A tree sprang up from the grounded, but instead of growing straight up, it bent around it self several times, eventually take the shape of a throne.

And then, as quickly as it had come, the power left Harry and he slumped into his newly made chair, exhausted.

Diviciacus walked over, clapping slowly.

"Very good. I didn't expect you to be able to do that so quickly. But you overdid it."

"What...was...that?" Harry gasped out between breaths.

"That, my boy was the druid state, but I'll tell you more about it later. But I will tell you that you didn't need to invoke it to get the plants to grow. You focused so much energy that you were forced into that state. But we've gotten off topic. You wanted to know about the taint."

A nod

"More tan a thousand years ago, a group came into existence that believed that the world was entirely corrupted and needed to be remade. According to them, the world could not be fixed and so everything needed to be destroyed and remade from the ashes. This group was known as the Order of The Phoenix. Don't interrupt. You're questions will be answered."

Harry closed his mouth and swallowed the question that was on the end of this tongue.

"Yes, this is the same group that Albus Dumbledore led. But I doubt the members of that chapter actually know about the Order's history and the true reason of its existence. They chose the name because the phoenix gains life from it's ashes. The group has existed in both the muggle and magical worlds and has been been known by several names. The Illuminati, The League of Shadows, the Free Masons, all cover names of the Order of the Phoenix. However, the muggles haven't been involved for quite a while. The Free Masons broke off and now the Order only exists in the magical world. The closes they ever got to succeeding was through Grindelwald. The muggles new him a Hitler. He was on the cusp of conquering the world, but when America rallied his enemies and it became clear that he would lose, the Order sent Albus Dumbledore to kill him and gain a position in the post war government. These people cannot be reasoned with. They are zealots and fanatics who believe that they are doing good. The only option left is to fight them."

"But what does this have to do with the taint?" asked Harry.

"I'm getting to that. Be patient. You needed to know about the Order because they are responsible for the taint. They realized that their largest obstacles were the magic users. Muggles are easier to deal with. They created to his end, a kind of magical virus tat made it impossible for those other than witches and wizards to be born with magic. It infected practically everyone and so people like us disappeared. Phase two is still ongoing. They introduced the Pureblood Supremacy Movement to keep muggleborns and halfbloods from advancing in society. The purebloods wouldn't marry the others and very often they return to the muggle world marry muggles. That makes it more likely for squibs to be born and eventually the magic in that family dies out. The purebloods are stuck though because the gene pool is shrinking and soon they will probably start dying of genetic disorders."

"So the magical world is doomed? How am I supposed to stop this? I'm just a sixteen year old kid."

Diviciacus gave what could only be called a guffaw.

"Only a sixteen year old? You're married, you've fought terrorists, broken into government facilities, fought dementors, fought a basilisk need I continue?"

"How the bloody hell do you know all that?"

"I'm the ghost of a druid. I can talk to the earth. It doesn't miss much, but that's not the point. By gaining your abilities, you've sent out a shock way that has dispelled the the taint for the most part. So in a generation, there will be new magic users all over the world. It could be sooner if any simply have powers that are activated, but nonetheless witches and wizards won't be alone anymore. Your job will be to insure that the Order can't reactivate the virus. And the only way to do that is to eliminate them."

Harry just sat silently for a moment. He had to kill off an entire organization? Granted it had shrunk, but he still had to kill.

"Why me?" he asked. "Why does it have to be me? First I'm supposed to kill Voldemort, now I have to kill off an entire organization? Why should I? Why the hell should I be the one to save the world? What do I owe the world? Why should I help them?"

"Because you are the only living druid!" Diviciacus said angrily. "We are the guardians of the world and magic. We failed. The Order has been winning for centuries but now you are here and you were chosen to take up this mantle."

"Chosen? I wasn't chosen. By chance, I'm descended from Morgana and Merlin. It's just a big bloody coincidence. Who could have chosen, God?"

He was answered by silence that was an answer in and of itself.

"Oh, come on. You want me to believe that God did all this?"

"I'm not saying that God did it, but there is something greater than ourselves. I am forbidden to tell you a definite answer to that question, but think about this: How did your wife show up just moments before you died? How did you just happen to be n obscure descendant of a magical house? How did you survive all of your dangerous encounters? You just said that you're 'just a sixteen year old.' Something or someone wants you to succeed."

Harry just sat in silence mulling over what he had just heard. Could God really be directing all of this? He wasn't convinced just yet and he still didn't think he should risk everything to go hunt down this Order of the Phoenix. Diviciacus noticed the look on the boys face and quickly surmised his thoughts.

"Harry, even if you don't care about the rest of the world, which I know you do deep down, but you do care about your wife. The Order will stop at nothing to get rid of you. You're the biggest single threat to them right now ad they won't hesitate to use her against you. The only way to protect her is to stop them or give yourself up."

Anger boiled up inside of the young wizard at this. How dare this old man use Tonks against him! That bastard wasn't giving him any choice. Tonks came first.

"You're not giving me much choice, old man."

"Of course not. I'm trying to convince you to save the world. Do you really think I'd just sit by and let you condemn the rest of the world to extinction. So, are you in or out?"

"You already know the answer to that," he said, his voice a low murmur. "I don't have a choice. I'd never be able to live with myself if I walked away."

Diviciacus put a ghostly arm around his pupil.

"Welcome to manhood, Harry. You're not a child anymore. I truly wish this wasn't necessary."

The absolute sincerity and remorse in his voice doused the anger that had built in Harry. This man wasn't the enemy. He had nothing to do with the problems Harry was facing. He didn't deserve the anger.

"It's not your fault, Div. You're here to help me aren't you?"

The old ghost smiled.

"Thank you, Harry. But...Div?"

"Did you really expect me to say Diviciacus whenever I talk to you?" he said with a chuckle. "I'm not Gallic."

"No, no you're not," he replied with a twinkle in his eye. "you haven't got nearly enough muscle on you to be one of my people."

"Oh really? Might I remind you that you're were conquered. The Romans built a wall to keep us from kicking their scrawny arses back to Italy. Heck, we even took over Great Britain with our royal line, so you can drop all the superiority crap."

By now, both were laughing uproariously.

"You've got me there, Harry, but show some respect, you're not the High Druid quite yet."

"Wait, High Druid?"

"Well, you are the only living druid not to mention the most powerful I've ever seen. When there are other druids, they will answer to you. Other than that, the only difference will be your staff of office and robes."

"You mean this thing?" Harry asked, pulling out his staff.

"Hardly," Div said. "That staff, while an excellent weapon, will not suffice for your Staff of Office. Now in order to make one....."

The rights and ceremonies of the druids are sacred to them and I have been

Asked not to publish them in my account of this tale. Consider yourselves fortunate to have learned this much.

Harry learned much under the instruction of Div. Through the virtues of the clearing he had spent the equivalent of a year under his tutelage. Harry missed his wife terribly, but e realized that it was crucial that he continue to train. Finally, he reached the end of his training.

"Harry, you have learned much in this year. You take o our ways like a fish to water and it is time for you to return home and for me to pass on. My task is done."

"It has been an honor to learn from you, my friend. Farewell."

It was a simple and somewhat formal goodbye, but neither wanted anything else. They both had known this was coming. They parted with dignity.

As Harry left the forest, he breathed deeply of the fresh air, relishing the feel of the wind he had missed so much for the past year. Looking around it seemed as though only hours had passed since he had begun his training and now he could go home to his wife.

His wife

A broad grin appeared across his features at that thought. He could finally go the woman he loved.

The High druid ran towards his castle, at a speed no normal human could manage. Using techniques learned from Div, he could draw on natural energy to aid his muscles in any movement, making him something like a superhuman. He practically flew across the countryside, traversing in minutes what had taken hours before.

He slowed when he reached the castle and passed Tammy and Dobby in the courtyard, but ignored them in his haste to see Tonks.


	16. The World at Large

**Sorry for taking so long to update guys. Life has calmed down a little, but I have been emotionally drained and couldn't bring myself to write. If any of my readers are Christians I would ask you to say a prayer for me. Thanks.**

**Before I continue, I'd like to address a few anonymous reviews I've gotten in the past few chapters.**

**The Nephilim: You brought up several good points and I acknowledge them and will try to correct the issues in my writing. The only problem I have with your review is that you said I could become as good as Regulus. I appreciate the implied compliment, but being compared to other authors is a pet peeve of mine. Thank you.**

**IDEAMANICBRAIN: Sorry, no baby**

**That's it for now. Enjoy.**

The World at Large

Harry Potter, Lord Le Fay, the High Druid stood in silence at the door to the room belonging to himself and his wife. She lay there sleeping peacefully in their bed waiting for another day to start. To her, it had just been a few hours since Harry had left the castle.

Harry had not seen her for a year.

12 months

52 weeks

365 days

8,766 hours

525, 949 minutes

He had felt every one of those long moments while longing to see his wife and love.

He had done what was necessary to be able to protect her and those he loved. But it had cost him dearly.

If anyone could see his face they wouldn't notice the dark beard outlining his jaw or the notch missing from his ear.

The would see his eyes.

The once piercing youthful green eyes had changed. No longer did they shine with the promise of hope.

The glowed grey with determination and wisdom.

Slowly, fighting not break and run, he stepped towards the bed and sat next to his wife. With a shaking hand caressed her cheek, hardly believing this was real.

When her eyes fluttered open and saw him, he broke down. He couldn't take it. With a sob, he pulled her to him and held on as if he would never let her go.

Confusedly, she looked at him, wondering why he was so distraught. The she saw his eyes. Those now gray pools of eternity.

He needed her.

Questions could wait.

There was no night of passion. No physical reclamation of lost time. They simply held each other through the night letting Harry bask in the presence of his love, his soul, and be whole again.

—Hogwarts Dungeons—

Severus Snape, the world's foremost potions master, occlumens extraordinaire, and the most hated teacher in Hogwarts history lay tossing and turning in his bed for what seemed an eternity.

The greasy haired professor hadn't slept in days; not since Dumbledore had been revealed to be in league with the Dark Lord. It just didn't make sense. Why would, if they were working together, they need a spy.

The only answer he could come up with was that they didn't trust each other, but that wasn't the problem.

He had been played!

Dumbledore knew Lily was going to be killed. He had probably arranged it so that Severus would hear the prophecy and gain a pawn.

Vengeance was needed. He would have to join with the new leader of the light and that was another problem.

Potter would probably be that person.

How he hated that brat! The boy had everything. He had fame, power a beautiful wife, money and everything else. He was probably spoiled rotten by his relatives. Why wouldn't he be? He was Harry bleeding Potter.

And what did Snape get? The love of his life married his rival, he was a poor teacher, and he had been raised by a drunken, abusive, muggle father who hated his freak of a son and beat him along with his witch mother for their "unnaturalness."

Everyone thought he hated the boy for some juvenile grudge against the boy's father. How immature did these people think he was? He had to deal with the most powerful wizards in the wold on a regular basis and snagged one of the most sought after positions in the country. He couldn't afford to keep grudges from school; especially when the person in question saved his life.

No, he hated that boy for having the charmed life Snape never received.

Trying to reconcile the necessity of an alliance, he resumed his tortured tossing and turning.

—Malfoy Manor—

"You promised, Voldemort. You promised to restore the Malfoy name!"

"Lucius," came the reply in a snakelike voice, "as soon as Potter is dealt with, you will be free to grow as you wish with the honor of having been my right hand."

"How can we grow when you've sucked us dry? My vaults are empty, people openly curse my name in the streets. You have me torture muggles and mudbloods for no reason. Where is the honor in that?"

Lucius Malfoy was fed up. The normally composed wizard was at the end of his rope. As a young man, he had eagerly joined the Dark Lord in the hopes of restoring the name of Malfoy to it's honored place at the top of society. He quickly found that those in that place looked down on those of less pure blood and so he joined in. At first it was fun. He reveled in the power he had over people and how they feared him. He thought it was respect.

Then something changed.

He saw the look in the eyes of those he abused.

He saw the hatred, the anger, the _disgust_.

He heard the whispers that followed his every step. Whispers of fear and revulsion.

He wanted out before his name was further destroyed, but there was nowhere to go.

As a member of the inner circle, he knew about the partnership between his lord and Dumbledore. He couldn't escape.

Now he was penniless and he knew that soon the Dark Lord would realize that without his money, Lucius Malfoy's usefulness was at an end.

He was pulled back to reality by the hiss of his master.

"So, you think yourself greater than me? You think you can question _me_? The most powerful wizard alive?"

_CRUCIO_

—Upstairs—

Draco Malfoy was curled up in the corner of his room listening to the exchange going downstairs. He knew if this continued much longer, his father would be dead.

They needed protection.

Swallowing his pride he came to the conclusion that only one person could help them.

His hated rival, Harry Potter.

As much as he despised Potter, he had money and the Black home was under the Fidelius. There was no other choice.

Tasting bile, he went to his desk and began to write a letter.

Potter would have ample reason to mock him but he would do it.

He would do it for his father.

—Le Fay Castle—

Dawn crept slowly through the windows of the Scottish castle, bathing the still sleeping couple in morning sunlight. Well, one of them anyway. Harry was already awake and watching his wife sleep peacefully. She was cuddled against his chest with her head on his shoulder. This was what it was all about. He loved her and everything he did from then on was for moments like these.

Little did they know it, but that love would change the course of history on a scale even more grand than Helen of Troy or Cleopatra herself.

Waking up slowly, Nym yawned and turned toward her husband giving him a light kiss on the lips.

"Hey"

"Hey"

After a few moments of just staring at each other, the metamorph rolled her eyes.

"So what stupidly noble thing did you do this time?"

Harry's eyes widened in shock. That wasn't what he had expected this morning.

"What are you talking about, love?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"Don't give me that. You came in here last night like you needed comfort something."

Then a glint appeared in the pinkette's eye.

"And your eyes aren't that gorgeous green anymore. Spill it."

Chuckling slightly, Harry recounted parts of his training over the past year his time excluding only what he was forbidden from telling.

"So let me get this straight. You run off in the middle of the night and somehow end up in a clearing that contains the soul of an ancient high druid who offers to train, oh and it just so happens that this clearing is cut off from time so you stay there for a bloody year without me so you can get stronger."

"Pretty much."

Then she punched him in the face.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?"

"That was for being so bloody noble and torturing yourself for a year while I get a good night's sleep. And this-"

She grabbed his head and crashed her lips to his for a mind-blowing kiss pushing herself against him and running her fingers through his hair.

"-is for being so bloody noble and torturing yourself for a year while I get a good night's sleep."

Then she just stepped away and started to walk towards the bathroom leaving a surprised Harry with his jaw flopping open.

"Come on, let's get ready. I you want _nothing more_ than to tell everyone else about this."

She then proceeded to the bathroom, hips swaying sensuously. After taking a moment to sort through that his eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Oh, you little minx!"

Neither emerged from the bathroom for a while.

—

After a long and thoroughly enjoyable shower, the pair walked into the main hall to find the rest all eating a hearty breakfast. Remus was the first one to notice their entry and smiled in relief when he saw his friend's son was home.

"There you are, Harry. Here did you go last night?"

With an evil grin, Harry answered.

"Oh you know, nowhere special just, a magical clearing inhabited by the soul of an ancient druid who taught about our ways for a year. Nothing surprising."

You could have heard a pin drop. Remus dropped his fork and his jaw on the floor. Peter choked on his eggs and Tammy had to smack his on the back hard to get him breathing again. Griphook, who had returned last night and was not pleased to find that his friend was missing, just shrugged and kept eating.

Upon noticing this, the others turned and stared at him. Peter decided to ask the obvious question.

"Griphook, do mean to say that you're not surprised in the least by this?"

Swallowing his food, the goblin just shrugged again.

"I work at a wizarding bank and I used to be a vault inspector. Let me tell you, after inspecting the Lovegood's vaults nothing can surprise me anymore."

Of course, our raven-haired friend took this as a challenge.

"How about the fact that I'm going to take over Britain?"

There was a slight pause followed by a shrug.

"There have been many attempts. Nothing new there."

Harry's grin got bigger.

"How about the fact that I'm going to do it with the help of the Centaurs, Vampires, Werewolves and other magical creatures?"

A thoughtful look.

"Good choices. They'll definitely be willing if you can get their interest."

The grin was now bigger than anyone had ever seen it and his eyes were twinkling like mad.

"How about the fact that I intend to enlist the aid of the Hidden Legion?"

Griphook's eyes bugged out and he spat his foot out on his plate. Standing up quickly he stared down his human friend.

"How the bloody hell do you know about them and how do you plan to find them? They haven't been seen for centuries!"

Patting the goblin on the head and still grinning like mad, the young lord sat down and proceeded to eat from a plate Dobby was so kind to place on the table for him.

"My master was a druid in the time of Julius Caesar. In those days we still had relations with them through their envoys. They only trusted one family to be their envoys," he said around a mouthful of toast and making motions with his fork. "They all had wispy blonde hair, silvery eyes and were presumed mad by other human. Sound familiar?"

"The Lovegoods," said Remus as it dawned on him. "Luna Lovegood. Are you really serious?"

"No, he died earlier this summer."

Tonks smacked her husband on the shoulder.

"Prat, answer the question and explain this insane notion you have about taking over Britain and what on earth is the Hidden Legion?"

"Yes dear," he muttered while nursing a now sore shoulder. "Remember when I told you that the Order of the Phoenix was really an evil society trying to destroy the world 'for the greater good?'" he asked while doing an incredible impersonation of the old buffoon.

Everyone nodded and Griphook spoke up.

"Speaking of Dumbledore, I have good news and bad news. The good is that he was convicted on multiple counts of abuse, embezzlement and various other crimes. The bad news is that Voldemort broke him out and they are working together."

"You're a little behind there, Mr. Goblin," Peter said. "We knew about that since yesterday. Harry, continue please."

"Right," he said while running his hands through his hair. "Well, Britain is too divided to take on the Order. They're international and we're lucky that they're letting this Lord Voldemort do this on his own-"

"Wait, wait, wait. _This_ Lord Voldemort?" interrupted Nym. "Isn't one enough?"

"I was getting to that. Now can I continue without interruption? This will take long enough as it is."

Nods

"Thank you. Now, as I was saying, there is more than one Voldemort. It's a title they give to their highest ranking member in each country. Voldemort is actually a contraction of the French words 'Vol de Mort.' Now this means-"

"Flight of Death."

"_Thank You, Remus._ Now will you please let me continue, hmm? Now, apparently this has something to do with either a specific test or an ability that is only taught to the leaders. No one knows. Now Tom Riddle is the name of this one. The Order is based Primarily out of France. Hence the French name and the fact one of the inner circle in named Lestrange. Unless we can squash Riddle quickly, the French Order will move in and help him if he seems to be getting too weak. The only solution my master and myself could come up with was to unite the various factions against Voldemort with one leader. That would be me. The Druids are the sworn enemies of the Order and as the last one, it's my job to destroy it. After we purge England, we'll see about getting France, but I don't know about that yet. Any questions?"

His question was met with silence. Remus looked like he was about to pass out. Nym just looked determined and it looked like Peter did pass out. Griphook was still calm.

Remus gave him a hard look.

"You don't look too surprised by all this. Did the goblins know about this?"

Griphook snorted in response.

"Of course we did. An organization that big has money flow issues. We just didn't tell you because with the exception of Lord Le Fay, we hate you all," he said as if he were discussing the weather.

"Umm, I have a question. What do we do now?" asked a curious metamorph.

Finishing off his breakfast that he's been eating during his speech, he wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his robe and stood up cracking the vertebrae in his back.

"Well, Remus is going to try get me set up with a meeting with the alphas of the Werewolves," he said with a pointed look.

After a moment of staring Remus groaned. "Now?"

"Yes, now. Things get more complicated to organize once school starts. I'm going to be teaching Tonks some druidic magic, Griphook is going to get the Weasley's together, all of them, not just my vassals, Tammy is going to formally invite the Lovegoods to dinner later this week and Peter is going to help me think of a way to get the Malfoy's on my side and Dobby is going to go get Winky from Hogwarts. Break!"

Everyone looked at him like he was insane.

"What? It's a muggle sports thing."

He groaned when the silence continued.

"Just get on with it."

With grins still on their faces, the group dispersed and went to accomplish their tasks. After a moment, Harry, Peter and Nym were the only ones left in the castle besides Morgana whom no one had seen since the previous evening.

Harry walked into a room with some couches and slumped into a love seat, quickly followed by his wife.

"Merlin, that was exhausting. Peter, get in here and sit down. We need to come up with a pla-"

He was interrupted by a tapping on the window beside to see an owl with a message for him presumably.

With an exasperated grunt he got up, opened the window and allowed the bird to rest on a coat rack while he read the message. He paced the room while he went over the letter and then laughed aloud as he threw it down onto a coffee table.

"My friends, it seems that Lady Luck likes us today and has made my life considerably easier."

Peter and Nym quickly snatched up the letter and began reading it quickly.

Lord Black,

I realize that in the past we have had considerable differences and I do not pretend to claim that we hold any sort of affection for each other, but I must put this aside and make a request on behalf of my father. My father, Lord Malfoy, is falling out of favor with the Dark Lord as he runs out of money and therefore his usefulness to the cause. There have also been rumors of a change of sympathies on my father's part, but I can neither confirm nor deny them. The point is that my father will most certainly be killed if cannot be made useful or taken into hiding. I ask for your help, Lord Black, because you are the only one with the resources and disposition to do so. If you agree to help, I will swear myself into your service. I may not be the best person, but I do love my father I will do anything I can to help him.

Your servant, Draco Malfoy


	17. To Know and Enemy

**Wow, it's been a while since I updated. I am sorry. RL is getting in the way. (Not Remus Lupin. You know what I mean.) I am going to try to get back into my old updating flow, but that might not be possible. Anyways, I have decided to add an OC to the mix in a few chapters. For all you readers that hate it when an OC becomes a major character, sorry but it's going to happen. One last note. A few reviewers have commented that my stories are "realistic." I take this to mean that my characters don't do things that go against their character or say things that don't fit. Thank you. That is one of my most important goals when I write. I'm something of an actor and when characters don't fit, it bothers me.**

**Time for the chapter. Enjoy**

To Know an Enemy

_Lord Black,_

_I realize that in the past we have had considerable differences and I do not pretend to claim that we hold any sort of affection for each other, but I must put this aside and make a request on behalf of my father. My father, Lord Malfoy, is falling out of favor with the Dark Lord as he runs out of money and therefore his usefulness to the cause. There have also been rumors of a change of sympathies on my father's part, but I can neither confirm nor deny them. The point is that my father will most certainly be killed if cannot be made useful or taken into hiding. I ask for your help, Lord Black, because you are the only one with the resources and disposition to do so. If you agree to help, I will swear myself into your service. I may not be the best person, but I do love my father I will do anything I can to help him._

_Your servant, Draco Malfoy_

"Harry, did you just get the Malfoys to _ask_ to join you?" asked Peter with an incredulous look on his face.

"Yes, and thank Merlin for it. This makes my plans _much_ simpler. I'll have to invite them to the castle to finalize all of this though," said Harry with a clear air of relief. It was like a weight had been taken from his shoulders.

Tonks, however didn't get it. And her expression showed her puzzlement. Just as she opened her mouth to ask, her husband cut her off with a tired tone as he stretched out on the couch.

"Do you have any idea how hard it would be to convince the right hand of my enemy to join me? Oh, I'm sure I could have gotten him, but I would always be worried about him being a spy. This came from his son. There is no way he would endanger Draco like this intentionally. I am now in a position of strength. He is coming to me. _I _set the terms. _I_ set the place. Etc….etc….etc. Understand?"

"Well…yes, of course…I mean, it's so obvious.."

Amidst her mumbling and trying to make herself look intelligent, a certain druid's leg snaked out and tripped her, causing the metamorph to fall against Harry's chest. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a kiss to stifle her protests.

They were very stifled once she realized she was kissing her husband, on top of him, on a couch.

It was getting more heated until a blushing Peter coughed loudly.

This earned him a double scowl.

"Peter, I've been away for a year. A bloody year. Cut me some slack."

The rat animagus just chuckled.

"I'm sorry, but old habits die hard. I did the same thing with your parents all the time. They occasionally…forgot themselves."

The scowl didn't quite leave, but it did fade before Harry turned to Tonks.

"Nym, I've been trained in politics and warfare. You are an auror. Not quite the same thing. It's ok that you didn't get it."

He pecked her lightly on the lips and tried to stand up, only to be forced back down by the love of his life.

"It's early and you're comfy. The wards a will wake us up in time when someone gets back."

Being a smart man, Harry didn't argue and the two dosed on the couch, just enjoying being together.

That is, until a few hours later when the wards woke up a heretofore happily napping Potter.

"Ugh, come on, get up, the Weasleys are here."

"Already?" Tonks asked groggily.

"Well, the clock says it's been a few hours and the wards are telling me a large group, including a goblin, has reached the courtyard. Two have bad intentions, two are ashamed about something, and the rest are excited. Sounds like the Weasleys to me."

Peter's jaw dropped a little.

"Harry, wards can't tell you all that, only the numbers and the races."

Harry grinned a little shamefacedly and scratched the back of his head.

"I didn't want to show off, but I have a bond with plants. They respond to the aura exuded by people and inform me."

Tonks facepalmed.

"Harry, you need to stop being ashamed of your abilities. You're planning on ruling Wizarding Britain. You can't afford it."

"I'm not," he said defensively. "I just got back and I wanted to let you guys adjust to the changes. Now get over here, the Weasleys are being led in."

Tonks had just enough time take her place by Harry's side before a mob of redheads bounded in.

"Harry, m'lord."

"Great to see, you"

"We have the figures"

"For Potter's Playful Pranks."

"By the way"

"Thanks for making us Potters."

"The free advertizing"

"Is brilliant"

Harry and Tonks barely stifled their laughter. It was great to see the twins, but it wouldn't be appropriate to laugh at an official meeting.

Bill and Charlie came next and bowed respectfully before their lord.

"Good to see you again, My Lord. We have a few things we need to discuss after the primary meeting, if that's alright?" Charlie asked. Bill nodded along.

"Of course, but I need to do this first."

They bowed again and stepped to the side as their father walked up along with Ron.

Before Mr. Weasley could speak, Harry said in a formal tone, "The House of La Fay welcomes the House of Weasley to our manor. There is a matter of honor that must be dealt with. I demand that reparations be made to my wife's honor."

Somewhat shocked by the formal tone of the greeting, Arthur made to bow, but Percy stepped up.

"We will not, Potter!" he said with a snarl. "Your audacity is astounding. You insulted my family, stole most of my siblings and married this filth, and yet you demand reparation? Well, you'll have them. Reparations in blood!"

Arthur's eyes widened, but he said nothing. As the heir to the Weasley house, Percy had the right to do this, however unwise.

Harry stared at Percy. His eyes boring in to him. A fire smoldered behind the grey orbs.

"Blood, Weasley?" he said quietly. "I called you all here to prevent blood. I don't want to declare a feud with the Weasleys. I merely wanted an apology to the treatment of my wife. I could kill you easily, Percy. Don't make me prove it."

Everyone in the room could hear the anguish in Harry's voice. He truly didn't want to kill Percy, but they all saw he could do it.

Except Molly.

"You coward, Potter. You're just scared to fight my Percy. If you apologize and call of this farce of a marriage, maybe we can end this peaceably."

The concern fled Harry's expression.

Replaced by anger.

"Courtyard, five minutes."

Then he stalked away with his wife in hot pursuit.

Molly walked over to her son.

"You'll beat him easily. Then we'll own all of his property and get your brothers back. Everything will be back to normal."

Then Bill spoke up.

"Mrs. Weasley, Harry is going to kill Percy. It won't even be a battle."

She just guffawed a walked with Percy to the courtyard.

They just stared as she left.

The twins looked down right somber.

"You tried"

"To warn her"

"Bill"

"There's nothing"

"We can do"

—Harry's Room—

"Harry, what's going on?"

He ignored her as he changed into the clothed he got at Gringotts.

"Harry, you're scaring me, what's going on?"

Not looking at her, he said, "Percy challenged me to an honor duel. I have to kill him."

"What do you mean you have to kill him? Can't you just disable him or something?"

"I wish I could, but this is actually a law. If I don't kill him, my life is forfeit and he owns everything I have. And according to the law, that means…."

He just shuddered and tied on his sash.

"Harry, what does it mean?"

His eyes found hers and after a moment of silence he said, "He gets you as a slave. You'd have to do anything he told you."

She shocked into to silence.

After a minute she said, "Does he know about this?"

Harry nodded.

A fire lit in Tonks' eyes.

She grabbed Harry, pulled him into a searing kiss, pulling his body against her and running her fingers through his long hair.

She pulled away slightly and looked into his eyes.

"Harry?"

He looked at her.

"Kill that son of a bitch."

Harry Potter, the high druid, Lord of four houses grinned.

He quickly walked down to the courtyard, almost running to the fight.

He was defending the honor of his wife.

—At the Improvised Dueling Ring—

"Let it be known that on this, the 28th day of August in the year 1998, Percival Weasley has challenged Lord Potter-Black-Dumbledore-La Fay to an honor duel to be commenced forthwith. The rules for combat are to be as such: Either combatant may choose any weapon they please for the combat save that it may not be muggle in nature. Any and all spells are allowed to be used. This includes the Unforgivables. The fight is to the death. Do the combatants understand the rules?"

Griphook, as a representative of Gringotts was presiding over the duel/

Harry and Percy nodded.

Percy pulled out his wand.

Harry waved his hand and his staff appeared in his hand.

Percy stepped into a dueling stance.

Harry twirled his staff in front of him, ending the display with one end pointing toward the ground and the other angled up over his shoulder.

Percy wasn't very impressed. Yet.

Harry grinned and the blades formed at the ends of the staff.

Now Percy was slightly worried. The weapon was magical. It had to be for those blades to exist. No matter, it was a physical weapon. He would kill Harry with his spells.

"Combatants ready?"

They nodded.

"Begin!"

Percy began with a flash of red light streaking from his wand. He had studied dueling and knew that allowing your opponent to know what attack you used was a bad idea.

When the spell shot toward him, Harry spun his blades and reflected the spell.

The audience was shocked. There was no record of weapons reflecting spells.

Percy was terrified. He started casting spell after spell. Hex after hex. Curse after curse.

Nothing had any effect.

Harry began running towards his opponent.

His blades spinning like a fan, deflecting the spells and creating a deadly light show.

He was just feet away from ending the fight when Percy let out a yell and blast of magic shot out from his wand. It wasn't a spell that could be deflected, but a shockwave of magic that knocked Harry over.

Percy started towards him intent on ending the fight, when Harry ripped off his glove exposing the Thistle Arm pointing at Percy.

He didn't stop to think about it.

He should have.

He never thought of anything else.

A tree root exploded from the ground shot into the air and…

Went right through Percy's temple and into his brain.

A shocked expression showed across his features.

He slumped to his knees, his hands limp at his sides.

Then he fell to the ground.

Dead

Molly began screaming about her baby and that Harry was a murderer, but Griphook began to speak over her.

"The Honor duel has concluded. Percival Weasley has been defeated. The lands, titles and possessions of the Weasley house belong to the victor. Good day."

Harry lowered his hand and allowed the root to go back to the ground with whispered thanks.

Slowly, as if in a daze, he picked himself up and walked over to Percy's body. Why did he have to die? Harry had done nothing to him. Yet he had taken it upon himself to attack for no reason.

No

That's not true.

He thought his family was threatened and wanted to prevent it and provide security for the future. He fought for his family and their future.

_Isn't that why I'm fighting, Harry?_ thought Harry. _I'm in this because I want to make the world safe for Nym and the children we may have. I fought this battle because he insulted my wife and to refuse would bring shame to my family. I need to bring honor to my family because I'm not just responsible for myself anymore. We weren't so different. We fought doing what we believed was right. I should never forget this. Don't hate or dehumanize your enemy. He is a person with every that comes with that. _

Harry laid out the body in a more dignified position and closed his eyes.

_Rest in Peace Percy. You've taught me something important and I will never forget it._

Still in a daze, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind and a chin on his shoulder.

"Are you okay, Har?"

Harry nodded and turned into the embrace, pulling Nym close. He held her tight, breathing in her scent and taking the security he always felt when she was with him.

"I killed him, but I had no choice. I hate it, but it I know that I'll have to do it again to make things better."

Smiling proudly, Nym gave him a peck on the cheek as she disentangled herself from his arms. And not too happily at that. She silently swore that tonight….well you get the picture. Harry was incredibly attractive to begin with, but fighting an honor duel over her? Well it deserved something special.

Taking a deep breath, but never letting go of his wife's hand, Harry strode over to the Weasley's with the confidence of a lord and victor. He had earned the right.

The red headed family was now standing in silence, waiting for Harry to speak. Technically, they were all under his authority either by vow or because of the duel.

They should have been contrite.

And to be fair most of them were.

Molly was not.

"You wicked beast! We treated you like family and this is how you repay us? You run off with that whore you call a wife and now you murder Percy for standing up for us? Boys, I hope you realize what kind of….person he is. Don't worry, I'll forgive you if you-"

_Silencio!_

Harry looked towards his vassals gratefully only to see Ginny with her wand drawn and pointed at her mother with a hard look in her eyes.

"Mum, stop it!" She seemed to be near tears. "Stop the yelling and those terrible things! I'm not going to take it anymore. Nobody can live up to what you want them to be. You only accepted Percy back because he agreed to go after Harry. Now he's dead and because he listened to _you _and challenged Harry to a duel."

There were the tears. Harry almost moved to comfort her, but stayed back. This was a family problem that he couldn't do anything about.

Her hands balled into fists and her knuckles turned white around her wand.

"You were so angry with Harry because he wasn't going to marry me anymore. Mum, he's married. I had a school girl crush on him. All you've been doing is making it worse. I'm dating Dean and I don't care if you think he's a 'stupid darkie' because _I'm _the one dating him. Not you. It's my life and no amount of howlers, or yelling, or chores or slapping me around is going to make it your life. "

Still crying and gasping for breath, she slumped to her knees. When Ron stepped over and helped up, wrapping her into a hug.

"It's alright, sis. We're here for ya. Let it out. Let it all out."

Ron gave a look of apology to the group and walked off with Ginny crying into his shoulder.

Pausing a moment, thinking while looking at Molly Weasley as a totally different person. Harry made a decision.

He made quick gesture for the group to follow him inside and turned away, walking into the castle.

They followed immediately, but when Molly tried to come they saw Harry raise his hand and roots immediately shot out of the ground, stopping her in her tracks.

Still silenced, no one could hear her shouts of protest. With a tired sigh, Arthur admitted to himself that he wouldn't have cared if he did.

They reached what looked to be a meeting room with Harry sitting at the head in a large chair with his hands folded on the table and a tired look in his eyes.

He waved his hand to tell them to sit down.

Arthur decided it was time to try to apologize.

"Lord La Fay, I must apologize for the abominable behavior of my family. In accordance with the laws of an honor duel I willingly give you all of my property and titles."

Silence reigned

Harry pinched his nose in a motion that clearly expressed how tired he was with this. Then he spoke quietly.

"How long has this been going on?"

Everyone looked up.

"How long has what been-"

"Years, Harry," said Charlie in a thoroughly defeated tone. "Mum's not the woman you think you know. She's been treating all of us like this for years, except that she can't treat me and Bill like that since we moved out. Ron and Ginny get the worst."

Swiveling his chair so that his back was towards the others, he slowly said,

"And you didn't tell me because…?"

"That's what we came here for today," Charlie said, seemingly ashamed. "While we were member s of the Weasley family, we couldn't tell anyone. It's taboo. And Ginny didn't want us too either. She thought she could handle it, but…well, you saw."

Harry spun around and slammed his fist down on the table, his eyes blazing with anger.

"You're damn right I saw! You should be bloody well ashamed of yourselves for letting a taboo stop you from protecting your little sister. I could understand not telling about your own problems. Hell, I've done the same as you, but she is your sister and that is unacceptable. It will _not_ happen again. Do I make myself clear?"

The last statement was directed pointedly at Arthur, to whom he spoke next.

"And you, don't think I've forgotten you, Arthur. You could have and should have prevented all of this. You, not Molly or Percy or anyone else, are the head of your family. There was abuse in your home and you did nothing. I don't want to hear any bollocks about not knowing. Even if it was true it's inexcusable. I cannot let a situation like this continue. This whole situation has been nothing but trouble. I can't handle another title or seat on the Wizengamot, my vassals need to be punished, and I need to ensure Ginny is safe. When you go out, tell Ron that he is released from my services and is returned to the Weasley family along with your titles in order to protect Ginny. Is that understood?"

Arthur nodded in shock. Harry had just managed to save the House of Weasley from extinction and ensured Ginny was protected while managing to retain the moral high ground. It was far more than he deserved and damned impressive.

"Arthur, you are dismissed."

Still in shock, Arthur, nodded, stood up, bowed and left the room to tell his remaining children the news.

As he left, Harry turned away from them again, now seated in his chair.

He didn't say anything for several minutes.

The Weasley's started to fidget. They weren't sure what to do. Harry was their Lord and he was very upset.

Not good.

"You said you had some things to discuss with me?"

His tone was calm, the anger gone.

He just sounded incredibly tired, as if the exchange had drained him immensely.

Charlie looked at Bill who nodded and stood up.

"M'lord, I desire to marry."

Harry lazily spun around in the chair, looking at Bill with a tired smile and his head resting heavily on his palm.

"And who is the lucky witch?"

"Fleur Delacour"

Now Harry's eyebrows went up.

"The part-veela from the Tri Wizard Tournament?"

"That's right," he said with a bit of a blush.

"I have no objections, but we're doing this formally with a marriage contract and promise of alliance. Her family is very prominent in France and allies are a good thing. Good job."

Bill breathed a huge sigh of relief. After what happened earlier, he was a little scared that Harry say no.

Then Harry looked at the twins.

"One: I like the name change. Two: I have more money than any other wizard in England. Use my share of the profits to buy out Zonko's so we can open in Hogsmeade. Now get out of here."

Being somewhat in awe of Harry after his reaction, they all stood up and began to leave only to be called back again by a apologetic and tired sounding Harry.

"Wait, wait, listen, I'm not really angry at you. I just…I had to kill today and it all could have been prevented if your family…well, playing "what if" is pointless and hindsight is twenty-twenty. Talk to Griphook in the courtyard. There's a lot you need to be filled in on and I'm not in the mood."

Fred looked like he was about to make some sort of joke but George slapped him. There was a time for pranks. This wasn't one of them.

Harry was just about to start brooding when a substantial weight dropped in his lap. This didn't surprise him per say, mostly because he didn't notice.

He was too preoccupied by the delicious pair of lips on his.

All thoughts of brooding vanished and were replaced by the pure bliss of the contact. After several minutes, a seriously mussed Tonks pulled back and whispered in Harry's ear.

"I love you, Harry Potter. I always will."

That was all the reassurance he needed.

After a year of exile and training, Harry was……reunited with his wife.

**Well, there's that chapter. Belated Merry Christmas. I wanted this to be out on Christmas Eve, but I couldn't finish before the Christmas Eve service at my church and then there was no free time. Beta Position still open. Thanks reading and I hope you review.**


	18. Awakening

**Ok, guys, I'm sorry for the long delay, but here's the next chapter. Here, I introduce an OC that I really like and I hope you do too. Also, this version has not been corrected by my beta. I will replace this with the edited version when I get it back.  
**

Awakening

"Do you understand the seriousness of this situation, son? You killed six people."

"They were trying to rape a little girl. I had to do something."

"But we have a witness that says you attacked them unprovoked. You also have a history of assault charges. This boy has a clean record. Now, who are we supposed to believe?"

"Well, it sounds like you already have the answer. I've told the truth. He lied. It's that simple."

Marcus Weyland stood in front of a judge who had already made a decision. He was a big for his fifteen years, standing at six foot four and covered with hard muscles. He was a manual laborer who did just about every kind of job you could imagine that required someone with strength. Life hadn't been easy for him. When he said he didn't have any parents it was almost true. He was just another statistic in the inner city life.

Being as big as he was, he was also a good fighter. You had to be to survive the gangs. Normally, a gang member got beat up a bit by other gangs when they got in a fight. Marcus didn't want to be in a gang so he fought all the time until they learned to leave him alone. If you could find it on the streets, he could use it as a weapon. Lead pipes, boards, bricks, guns, you name it.

He also got beat up because he was stupid and he had the scars to prove it, the most prominent being a scar that cut across his left cheek from his ear to his jaw. At least, that's what he'd say if you asked. If he saw someone getting mugged, raped, stabbed or killed he tried to stop it. One of the best ways to get yourself killed in the underworld is to stick your nose in someone else's business. But there for some reason he just couldn't do it. There was a little voice in the back of his mind screaming at him to help. The losers usually squealed, but they never showed up to testify so he was always let go. He tried to play it off as his conscience getting to him.

That is, until about a week ago.

—Flashback—

Marcus was walking home from his current job as a mover. It wasn't too exciting, but it paid well so he had no complaints. He turned a corner just to see a group of seven guys moving in on a young girl. She couldn't have been fourteen.

"Hey, baby, we're feeling a little lonely tonight. Want to help out?"

"Yeah, we got a bad case of the blues. But you can fix that, can't ya?"

Marcus tried to just walk on by. It didn't concern him. There were seven of them. He would probably get killed.

Sure enough, though, that voice started up again, but this time it wasn't just a bit at the back of his mind.

"_BY ODIN, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, MARCUS? PROTECT HER!"_

Something changed then. He wasn't reluctant. He felt outraged at what was happening. The desire to stop those boys flooded his veins. He wanted their blood and he would have it!

He picked up a lead pipe from the street and walked towards the group who hadn't seen him yet. As soon as he touched the pipe, though, he felt energy coursing through it.

It was amazing.

He felt as though he had the strength to destroy a building in just his one arm. Then a rush of thoughts hit him. His grip on the pipe changed. He suddenly understood how to best hold it, the angle to swing, and the best way to block. His stance changed and he could see his next moves play out like a movie in his head. It was as if he had been fighting with this kind of weapon for his whole life.

Then the guys saw him.

"Hey, Big Marcus, this ain't got nothin' to do with you. Just walk on bye, pal and ain't nothin' gonna happen to ya."

His answer was a dark look and a pipe to the jaw.

He dropped like a rock.

Then Marcus was after the rest.

He swung that pole, crushing ribs, breaking jaws and destroying his enemies.

Then it was over.

One of the thugs had run right after he smashed their boss.

None of them had gotten up.

He suddenly felt exhausted and slumped to the side of the building, and fell unconscious.

(Dream Sequence)

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Marcus looked around, trying to figure out where he was.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The sound was deafening. Wincing at each horrendous clash of what sounded like metal on metal, he called out, trying to find out where he was.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

That terrible sound was his only answer. He was alone, trying to make sense of his situation for what seemed like hours until he heard the sound stop and that same voice from before boomed forth.

"Return to your world and I will call you when you know what it means to have strength."

Then the sound returned only this time ten times as loud. Marcus slumped to his knees, holding his hands to his ears and then fell to the ground.

He woke up in a police cell.

—End Flashback—

"Stop this charade, boy. Did you really think we would think you could kill six other boys without a scratch all by yourself? Who helped you? If you tell us, we might be able to reduce your sentence."

The patronizing tone infuriated Marcus. He had risked his neck to save a little girl and they were trying to put him behind bars for it? They didn't even think he could have done the deed in the first place.

"Your _Honor," _he said with a heavy, if derisive, emphasis on the word. "I killed those punks by myself. One hit each with a led pipe."

There was a murmuring in the courtroom at this and judge slammed down his gavel.

"Order, order. You expect me to believe that each of these boys was killed with one hit? I saw the photos of the murder scene. The amount of damage on those bodies would require inhuman strength and speed for just one strike."

Marcus stared at him from behind his long black hair with eyes that could probably melt through steel.

"I already told the cop what happened. That's what happened."

"Yes…we heard your…account of the incident. In fact, it's the only thing saving you from doing hard time. A third party has offered you an alternative to jail and he wants to talk with you privately."

The bailiff grabbed his charge's arm and jerked him roughly from the courtroom. He pulled Marcus through the halls before entering a room, sitting him down in a chair and hand-cuffing him to a table. He left quickly and Marcus was alone for a few minutes.

This was ridiculous. Thoughts were floating through his head about what this could be about. It had to be some kind of nut house if his testimony had to do with it. Hell, he didn't know if he believed it himself. Whatever, it would beat hard time any day.

He startled from his thought when the door opened and a man wearing an old suit walked in and sat across from the supposed murderer.

"Marcus, I'm here to offer you the chance to go to a school for people who can do things like you did last week. We teach them how to do it safely and a lot of other things. Normally we find the…gifted at a much younger age, but we make mistakes. I'm offering you a spot at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

—Hogwarts Conference Room (Board of Governors' Meeting) —

"Well, I should think that the answer is rather obvious. The boy cannot perform magic anymore, so he has no place at Hogwarts."

A few sounds of approval were heard around the board table to Dolores' Umbridge's proposal. She grinned at the response. She had enough people to vote that wretched boy out of the school and therefore, the magical world.

That was when Lucius stood up. He had his usual haughty expression and cool eyes as he addressed the room.

"As appealing as you suggestion appears, Madame Umbridge, may I…humbly offer another?"

With a questioning glance, the frog-like witch nodded her assent.

"Thank you," he said, in his normal drawl as he began to pace slowly around the room, his posture and pose giving him an air of authority. "Harry Potter is a formidable wizard. To say anything else would be foolish. You may doubt his powers, but at the very least, he controls several seats on the Wizengamot. To free him from Hogwarts would put him out of our observation."

The board members nodded in agreement. Someone at Potter's age with that much political influence unguided could be disastrous.

"What do you suggest, Lord Malfoy?"

Lucius' mouth twitched into a slight smile of victory. He had them.

"I propose that we run damage control. He cannot take several classes, so why not let him teach? He is one of the best fliers England has seen in ages and Madame Hooch is thinking about retiring. Perhaps an assistant professorship would be in order. I suppose he could assist the half-giant with those wild beasts. He clearly cannot handle them on his own."

As expected, most of the others were agreeing with him, but Dolores looked like she was about to burst.

"Lucius, that…boy is not worthy of such an honor! He's a spoiled, immature liar who should be expelled, not promoted."

"Dolores, ever since Minister saw Voldemort with his own eyes and Harry was proved to be telling the truth, the press has taken a liking to the stupid Gryffindor once more. They will applaud our choice and he will be trapped. He will need to report at teacher's meetings and cannot leave without the Headmaster's permission. But I do not suggest that we let him run rampant. He will need a supervisor. This leads me to my second suggestion. I wish to be the next Defense Professor."

A fat, elderly man spoke up, "Don't you mean Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"No, I do not. The ministry has recently approved any spells if used in self defense against a Death Eater. I think that I am qualified for the position of teaching them how to do so. I apologize for taking your position, Dolores, but after the events of the previous year, your authority would be too undermined."

—

Lucius walked out of the meeting and was making his way to the edge of the wards to apparate home when he heard a familiar voice pipe up.

"How did it go, Lucius?"

Whirling around he saw Potter leaning against a wall.

"They agreed at all points, but refuse you a salary, as if you need it,….M'lord. Will you accompany me to edge of the wards?"

"No, I have some business in Hogwarts, good day."

The exchange was curt, civil, and short.

The best to be expected from their unlikely alliance. The meeting between the two groups had been interesting.

—Flashback—

Lucius Malfoy had gone to Le Fay Manor with his son via a portkey attached to a letter he received from Harry. After an explanation of the situation from a somewhat fearful Draco, he decided to follow through. The Dark Lord would likely kill him soon as it was.

He had expected to see the gangly, half-starved teenager he had had dealings with before: lacking a backbone and wanting to do it all himself.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

When he was ushered into the great hall, he was greeted by a full grown man who had presence that shouted nobility and a look in his eyes that showed he considered himself infinitely superior to his guests. It wasn't something a Malfoy was used to.

"Lord Le Fay, my son has brought it to your attention that I am in need of help. For a price I will offer my assistance in-"

"Lord Malfoy, you came begging to me for help. I will dictate the terms of this…alliance or whatever you want to call it," Harry said, cutting off the older man. "You need my protection and probably money until your investments restore what Voldemort took. I am willing to give these for your assistance with the Board of Governors and an oath of fealty from you and your son. This is not open for discussion. Yes or no?"

The platinum blondes looked at each other for a moment in shock at the reception. Potter knew what he was doing. But Malfoy's had their pride.

"I am not certain I should serve you, Lord Le Fey. You have given me no assurance or plans for my safety and the Dark Lord is powerful. You are a half-blood-"

That's as far as he got before Harry cut him off.

"You will serve me because I am your only option. Voldemort is going to kill you sooner or later and you want me protect your family. And yes, I am a halfblood. I am also far more powerful than anyone you've ever dealt with, _Malfoy._"

To illustrate the point; he summoned forth the raw magical energy he had inside of him. It filled the whole hall, slamming into the visitors. Papers whipped around in the air, pictures slanted, suits of armor were knocked over and Harry stood like a rock as though he wasn't fazed.

Lucius staggered to his feet with a look of grudging respect in his eyes.

"I offer my fealty and that of my house until you choose to release us, my lord."

He just looked at the man coldly and said, "Show me your forearm."

Confused, Lucius showed him his arm, bear of the Dark Mark.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"The other one"

Tentatively, he did and the ugly black tattoo was openly visible.

Without warning, Harry's hand shot out and grabbed the limb. The mark starting burning; giving him the pain that Voldemort used as a punishment. It was nearly unbearable and he fell to his knees with a grunt. A searing sound was heard and when he looked down he saw a design that looked like a plant moving on Harry's hand and _into _the mark.

After a moment, the hand was removed to reveal the Dark Mark, but something was different. It was the normal grotesque marking of Voldemort. The snake was replaced with a basilisk and the skull was now a cluster of thistles growing along a lightning bolt that went through the whole design.

"You work for me now. I'll owl you with what instructions. Now get out of here, I want to talk to Draco alone."

Lucius, slightly in shock, managed to summon forth a measure of composure. Not letting his voice betray his reaction, he bowed.

"Very well, my lord."

He beat a hasty retreat, leaving Harry and Draco alone in the room. The blonde boy smirked openly and began to clap slowly.

"Bravo, Potter. I never thought you were such a thespian. Perhaps you should consider the theater rather than running the magical world."

Instantly, the intimidating posture and expression that Harry had on vanished, though he looked slightly abashed.

"What gave it away?" he asked with a sheepish grin as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh, don't worry, the performance was flawless. If I didn't know you I would have fallen for it like my idiot father."

The superior smirk was still going strong. Well, until Harry spoke up again.

"Why did you really write that letter, Draco."

Surprise was immediately evident on his face. How did he see through it all so fast?

"I think it's my turn to ask 'what gave it away?'"

"Well, your admission for one," he said, grinning. He walked past Draco to a small table and poured himself some scotch from a glass bottle. "Something seemed off about all this. You treat your father with disdain and well, you're a Slytherin. It's not like you to be so open. Scotch?"

"Yes, thank you," he replied, taking the offered cup. "I'm impressed, Scarhead. You're smarter than I gave you credit for. You're also partly correct. This isn't just about my father. He's going down and I want to make sure my mother is safe when he does."

He tried to read Harry's expression, but all it showed was interest. Well, at least his new sworn master had some useful traits.

"And why is your father going down? Isn't that why you came to me?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong. I did come here to make sure he doesn't get killed but one way or another, he's to going to lose it all. Despite what he may tell you, the man will always be loyal to Voldemort. Lucius spent far too much of his life serving that cause to give up now. But you can still use him. He does have influence."

Harry took a sip of his scotch and sat down in a chair, looking at Draco carefully.

"Well that makes sense, but when are you going to answer my question? Full marks for dodging though."

Draco's mind was racing. He was at a disadvantage and he knew it. He was losing to a bloody _Gryfindor!_ It was galling more than anything else. He did need his help, but it didn't make t easier. His lip curled into a slight sneer as he responded.

"Very good, _Potter_," he practically spat out. _Calm down, Draco. You need his help. Getting him angry isn't a good idea._ "It's my mother. As soon as my father is worthless to Voldemort, she'll probably be given to the rest of the inner circle. Look, I don't like you, Potter. That's no secret, but I do need your help. I want you to protect my father from death and my mother from being made into a common whore. In exchange, I offer my services and, in some measure, those of my father."

There, that ought to do it. Gryffindor that he was, Potter couldn't resist helping now. There was no way he would let something like that happen to a woman if he could stop it. It was a good thing too, because he didn't have any more cards to play. However, something was wrong. Potter hadn't responded yet and his face was creased in thought, not sympathy like he had hoped. Not good.

Harry downed the rest of his scotch, put it down on a side table and leaned back, still looking thoughtful.

"Here's the problem, Draco. I don't know how much I can trust you."

Draco froze at that. Definitely not good.

"Until now, you've been a bloody git who reported to a high profile death eater father. Now you want me to do you favors and trust you enough to let you help me in my plans. Give me one good reason that I should."

Harry was now leaning forward, his head leaning on his fist. His eyes and expression were expectant, but the Slytherin couldn't but think that he was waiting for something other than he had said. But that was the problem. He was stumped. Potter was right. There was nothing he could really do to show that he could be trusted. By rights, Potter should throw him out for being a possible spy. He gritted his teeth and curled his hands into tight fists, leaving his knuckles white. Swallowing back the bile that rose in reaction to what he had to do, he looked at Potter.

"Look, you have absolutely no reason to trust me. Everything you said was right and you have every right to throw me out and ignore me. You don't really even need me to control my father. I can only do so much for you, but…" His hands were literally shaking as forced the words out. "But I need your help. You're just a half-blood, but you have more money, more political pull, more power than just about anyone. I-I beg you, help my mother."

His lips pursed, Harry looked at Draco, judging his words and his intentions. The tension could be cut with a knife.

"Alright"

Draco, who had been studying the floor rather intently, instantly locked eyes with Harry.

"What?"

"I said I'll help. But there is something I want you to do for me."

Draco was flooded with relief. He wouldn't admit it, but he was incredibly grateful. However, he couldn't quite keep it out of his voice.

"I'll do it, whatever it is."

Harry silenced him by raising a palm.

"No, let me tell you what it is. I want you to watch out for Ginny Weasley. She's had a rough time and the last thing she needs is your Slytherins harassing her. You will, in a sense, be her body guard. So what will it be, Draco?"

His eyes widened. He certainly hadn't expected that.

"The little Weasle-?"

"Yes or no?"

Looking anywhere but at Harry, Draco struggled with the answer even though he knew what it had to be.

"I'll do it."

—End Flashback—

Harry walked back up to the castle, leaving Lucius behind. Everything had worked out so far. He had a spot at Hogwarts and Lucius was where he could keep an eye on him. But there was something he had to do before going home to Tonks.

"_I really should get home quick. Tonks seemed a little on edge this morning."_

Nym had been nervous about something, but whenever Harry asked, she would brush it off with a chuckle that did more to make her husband suspicious than anything else. Well, as soon as he checked out the Chamber, he would go straight home. He wanted to get home quickly anyways. Being away from Nym wasn't something he liked and his training time hadn't done anything to help with that.

As Harry made his way into the main building, heading towards the old abandoned girls' bathroom, he instantly felt relaxed. Despite everything that had happened in his five years at the school, it was still his home. It was the first place where he was a person instead of a slave.

The first place he was safe.

He made his way quickly through the winding corridors, his footsteps echoing in the empty stone halls. A few of the portraits greeted him as he went, but few of them managed to recognize him. He had just been one of hundreds of other children who passed by and that was before his transformation.

After a few minutes, he spied the old, dilapidated door to the restroom. Dispelling the locking charms on the door, no doubt put their after the whole diary debacle, he walked in. Instantly he was assaulted with the musty smells of the old place….and a familiar voice.

"What's this? Harry Potter has finally come to visit me? And he does look cuter than last time."

Harry smiled slightly.

"Hello Myrtle. It has been a long time hasn't it?"

The ghostly girl swooped down in front of him, stopping uncomfortably close to his face. She tried to adopt a seductive expression, but failed miserably.

"Did you come to spend some time with lonely, little me?"

She still had that crush on him. Well, what can you expect from a girl who has no real company in years?

"Sorry, Myrtle, but I'm married now. It is nice to see you again."

She pursed her lips, trying for a cute pout and humphed away from him.

"Then I guess you want to see that nasty old chamber again. I'll leave you to it."

She sounded pained and seemed to be crying as she quickly flew away.

"Wait, Myrtle! I- alright, I tried."

Shrugging his shoulders, Harry walked over to the sink where three years ago he had opened to go fight a basilisk and the shadow of the Dark Lord.

He hissed in parseltongue and the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets grated open. The entire sink structure came apart, revealing the long drop down to the bone tunnel.

That seemed odd to Harry now that he thought about it. The chamber had been at the school for centuries, but the opening was in a modern plumbing fixture, and why would Salazar have the opening lead to a plain cave? Surely he would have had a more polished entrance for normal use. It just didn't add up.

"_Well, it's not like I can ask him."_

Harry shrugged off and hopped down the hole. On the way down he pulled up his staff and created a strong updraft to slow him down until he landed lightly on his feet. As he stood up, he dusted of the little bits of Merlin knows what that the wind had kicked up. He made his way through the cave, past the old basilisk skin that had shocked Ron and himself what seemed a life time ago. Finally he passed through the round door with the serpents on it to see the Chamber.

This was closer to what he imagined Salazar would have designed. He walked down a hall lined with intricately carved statues of snakes that appeared to be made out of a dull stone that was covered in an ancient dust. The druid kept walking, but he was kicking up dust as he went and it began to irritate his nose. It got worse and worse until-

ACHOO!

He sneezed directly on a snake statue.

And that's when he noticed it.

His sneeze has blown off some of the dust and his saliva had washed away a little more.

The stone was gleaming. Upon closer inspection, Harry saw that the entire snake was at least covered in various precious metals and jewels. He marveled the level of craftsmanship that it exhibited. Years ago, these statues must have breathtakingly beautiful. Intrigued by this he took a closer look at his surroundings. It only got better.

The floor, that he had assumed was just cobblestone or bits of broken rock, was really the remains of a mosaic. He couldn't make out what it depicted, but unsurprisingly, he could see the head of a snake. This was definitely something Salazar would do.

The Chamber of Secrets was once a beautiful place. The main chamber seemed to be the same. Beneath the thick layer of caked debris was a marble design and he assumed he would find something similar in the pool, but he didn't really have time for that. However, something else caught his eye that he hadn't noticed the last time he was there. Spaced evenly along the walls were three beautiful statues of women. The first was a woman dressed like a queen astride a horse that was rearing back with its front legs in the air. The next was dressed in what looked like a funeral shroud with a black bird on her shoulder. The third seemed completely out of place. She dressed as a simple washerwoman and was kneeling down, as if cleaning something.

Strange ornamentation

What attracted his attention then was the carcass of the basilisk he had killed. The monstrous body was more than fifty feet long and armored like a dragon. Even Harry had to balk a little at the idea that a twelve year old had managed to kill this thing. He circled around it slowly, trying to figure out what to do next.

"_Griphook said that basilisks were reborn, somewhat like phoenixes, but this thing is still here after three years. It hasn't even started to rot yet."_

It was true. The body looked perfectly intact and disregarding the broken fang and the wound Harry had inflicted on it with the Sword of Gryffindor the creature looked as if it could be sleeping.

Not being able to think of anything to do, Harry tentatively places his hand on the thick, scaly hide. As soon as his fingers brushed against the skin, it turned began to crumble into dust. Soon the entire basilisk was nothing a spinning tornado of fine dust, whipping through the air at incredible speed.

It was so strong, that was forced to kneel down and cover his eyes with the edge his robes. The cyclone narrowed, focusing in on one point before suddenly being sucked downwards and disappearing.

Leaving behind a large, jet black egg.

Slowly, Harry stood up and crept towards the egg. It seemed to be pulsing with magical energy. The thing was like nothing Harry had ever seen before. Mesmerized, he reached out and placed both hands on it.

The magic around it flared up instantly and shot into Harry, traveling up his arms and over his whole body in a wave. The next thing Harry knew he was in his mind, his body slumping to the cold, hard ground.

—Mindscape—

_Wh-where am I?_

Harry had been into his own mind before, but the place he was now seemed completely different. Instead of the neatly ordered hallways and doors, he saw a giant swirling mass or images, thoughts and memories. It was really bizarre.

Then he heard it. In the background he could hear a light hissing that sounded like parseltongue. Only, this wasn't the language he was used to hearing. It was fragmented and sounded like a young child attempting speech by copying the sounds it heard. He could make a few words here and there though.

……_pain……_

Instantly, Harry was seeing once again the abuse that the Dursley's had heaped on him. The beatings, the insults and everything assaulted his consciousness. It was still so painful.

…_friendssss….. _

And suddenly all the good times with Ron and Hermione and the others appeared.

The first train ride to Hogwarts

Saving the Sorcerer's Stone from Voldemort

Working together to sneak into the Slytherin common room

Everything they did together

His friends always wanting to help him and forcing him to let them come to the Department of Mysteries

Sirius and the short time they had

All that was truly good in his life was shown to him and he relived the joy of those times.

…_lossss…guilt_

Then he was back in his nightmares. He saw his fragmented memory of his mother's death, Sirius in the veil, every dream condemning him for his failure.

He saw and felt himself tearing himself apart, hating himself, hurting himself and then trying to kill himself.

Then something changed when he got to that memory. He felt the other consciousness in their focus on Tonks, then in her standard bubblegum pink hair. He felt like she was being studied, evaluated.

…_care?...why?_

And he was sucked back into the other memories, exploring every time Tonks had come into his life

—_First Year—_

"_Come on, Harry! We're going to be late to potions!"_

_Harry and Ron were running through the halls, desperate to ge tot class in time to avoid Snape's wrath._

"_I'm running as fast as I can, Ron. Wait u-"_

_He tripped and fell hard, sliding on the smooth cobblestone floors right into the broom cupboard door._

"_Ouch, that hurt!"_

_As Harry pulled himself up he heard something inside the closet. Pressing his ear to a crack, he heard someone crying heavily on the other side. Curious, he slowly opened the door and saw an older girl sobbing heavily and her hair was changing colors wildly. Hearing the door creak she looked up sharply._

"_What? Do you want to take a shot at me too?"_

_Surprised at the hostile reaction, Harry cowered a little before he answered._

"_N-no, I just heard someone crying and wanted to see if they were all right. Are you ok?"_

_The girl's expression softened slightly and she sniffed loudly._

"_Yeah, I'll be ok. Some of the older boys are jerks and I just…I needed some time to myself. I'm Tonks. What's your name?"_

_Blushing a little as he looked at the pretty older girl, he smiled and said, "Harry Potter, pleased to meet you."_

_Just as her surprise started to show, Ron burst yelling, "Harry, we got to go! Potions starts in two minutes!"_

_He grabbed Harry's arm and yanked him out of the room, leaving Harry with just enough time to wave and yell, "Bye, Tonks"_

_On the way to Snape's class, Ron spoke up._

"_Who were you talking to in there?"_

"_An older girl named Tonks. DO you know who she is?"_

_Ron looked away blushing scarlet._

"_Kinda, some of the older boys said some…things about her. I don't think she's a very good person."_

_For some reason, Harry didn't believe that. She didn't seem bad. Something about her reminded her of……himself_

_Well, that wasn't a onetime meeting. Harry found her crying the closet several times and after a few encounters she actually started talking to him._

"_Harry, I'm a metamorphmagus. That means that I can change anything about my body. The boys just want me to change and…do things with them. They-"_

"_They want you to be something you're not. I get that."_

_The pair became fairly close. They didn't really hang out. She was a seventh year after all, but Harry was a shoulder to cry on in a way. Then she graduated and Harry didn't see her again for about three years._

_The seed was planted._

—_Fourth Year—_

_Harry was pacing through the halls late at night. Curfew was soon, but he just couldn't sleep. The first task of the Triwizard Tournament was the next day and he had to fight a dragon. A dragon! He was just a fourteen year old kid for crying out loud. He was so distracted that he didn't see the other person coming down the hall and crashed right into them._

"_Oh, I'm so sorry. I- Tonks?"_

_The pink haired auror looked at him for a moment before a grin lit up her face._

"_Wotcher, Harry! Merlin, how long has it been? It's good to see you. How have you been?"_

_And from her expression, she looked like she actually was. It was definitely a relief after the way most of the students were treating him. They all thought he cheated to get in the stupid tournament._

"_It's good to see you too, Tonks. I've been better. How about you?"_

_The exhaustion must have showed because her grin drooped a little._

"_I'm doing pretty well. I'm an auror now, so I'm working security for the tournament. Thought I'd take a look around again while I'm here. But enough about me, what's got you all up in a twist?"_

_Damn, she still knew how to read him._

"_Nothing much. It's just this bloody tournament. I didn't even want to be in the damn thing to start with and now most of the school, including my supposed best friend, thinks I cheated to get in it. I just want it all to be over and done with."_

_She nodded a little, understandingly._

"_Well, I can sympathize with the way the school feels and if Ron's really your friend, he'll come around. If not, it's probably for the best anyway. I've never been in a Triwizard Tournament before, but I guess we all have our own _dragons _to face."_

_She adopted the most innocent expression when she said that and Harry didn't miss it. She was trying to help him! She wanted him to succeed even though it could cost her her job. Someone really cared about him. It felt…nice._

"_Yeah, I guess we do. Thanks, Tonks. It was really good to see you again. I'm sorry to cut this short, but curfew is real soon and Filch will get me if I stay out and longer."_

"_No problem, Harry," she said, walking over and giving a light hug. "It was great seeing you."_

_Harry returned the hug awkwardly, blushing like crazy the whole time and standing stock still as she walked away._

_The seed sprouted._

—_Summer After Fourth Year—_

_Harry hadn't slept in days; not since the night Cedric died. Whenever he slipped into unconsciousness, he just saw the pale face of dead friend come back to haunt him; blaming him for his death. It was tearing Harry apart and there was no one he could go to. The Durselys were obviously out and he was pretty sure Dumbledore was reading and censoring the mail between Harry and his friends._

_He was alone._

_CRASH!_

_Sensitive to sound in his tired state, Harry's shot up and he looked out his window to find the source of the sound. He saw a trash pick itself up off the ground and put back in place. He rolled his eyes at his guard's carelessness. He knew Dumbledore was having him watched but he had at least assumed it was someone discreet. Well, he should probably go get whoever it was before they revealed themselves to the muggles. The Durselys were away so he could get away with it._

_Still pulling on a shirt, he walked outside and headed towards where the trashcan was. Discreetly as he could, he said, "Whoever you are, just come inside. That trashcan stunt might have alerted some people."_

_A bush nearby started rustling and as he walked back into the house he heard light footsteps following him. As soon as he got back upstairs in his room, the person dropped the Disillusionment charm._

"_Wotcher, Harry? You don't look so good."_

_Sparing a glance over to the mirror, he saw she was right. His face was haggard, his eyes bloodshot. He looked a right mess._

"_Yeah, well, I haven't been sleeping well lately."_

_Her normally cheerful demeanor dimmed a bit and she sat down on his bed, indicating that he do so as well._

"_Cedric, huh? Blaming yourself?"_

_His eyes locked with hers for a moment before he looked away. It was all the confirmation she needed._

"_Look, Harry, you can't blame yourself. It's really not your fault. Pettigrew killed him. You did everything you could have done. I'm not stupid enough to think you're going to instantly snap out of this because I said that, but at least think about all that you did do. You tried to be a good friend by sharing the cup and you brought his body back. It would have been safer to leave it, but you did what you could."_

"_But he's still dead, Tonks! He still fucking dead and I'm alive! Everyone around me gets hurt! If I just died already no one else would get hurt!"_

"_Harry, Voldemort would still be killing people if you were dead. He's done this before and he'll do it again, with or without you in the picture."_

_Harry didn't say anything or look at her. It was too much to hope that he would accept it all at once, but she thought she was getting to him a little._

"_Thanks for bringing me in here. I'm so clumsy. I can't believe I knocked over that rubbish bin."_

_Harry snorted a bit at that and smiled slightly._

"_Tonks, you would trip over a cordless phone."_

_Confusion showed clearly over her face._

"_A what?"_

"_You know, a cordless phone. Well, actually you wouldn't I guess. It's a muggle thing."_

_Tonks stayed around a while longer and they bantered back a forth for a bit. She even got him to laugh once or twice. He was actually sad when she left. It might have been the exhaustion, but he thought he might actually be falling for her._

_After that, she never came into the house again. Harry assumed it was because Dumbledore found out and wasn't too pleased. They still passed messages occasionally. They were friends._

_Later that summer, Tonks was part of the group taking Harry to Grimmauld Place and he appreciated a familiar face. At Grimmauld Place they got to talk a lot more and Harry felt himself worrying every time she went out on a mission. He looked forward to seeing her._

_Damn, he had fallen for her and he hated that it was hopeless to think they could be together._

That was the last one. The consciousness, he assumed it was the basilisk, seemed satisfied with the examination.

—Real World_—_

Harry was suddenly back in his body, gasping for breath and shaking visibly. The overload of emotions from reliving the most powerful moments in his life was intense.

Still on his hands and knees, he looked up at the egg. The black mass was as big as he was standing up and it looked like something was trying to break out of it. The sides bulged as the young basilisk slammed against the inside to break free. It stretch more and more, until suddenly a large scaled head shot out. It kept writhing and moving to force the rest of its body out of the shell. Finally, the whole serpent was free.

The basilisk was fairly impressive to look at. Even when coiled back on itself, it's head was about the level of Harry's when standing. The entire things covered in hard scales, but instead of the rough, leathery scales of the previous one, this basilisk looked like it was covered in pieces of sleek obsidian. It was black all the way from its head to the tip of its tail except for a design that looked like a red lightning bolt traveling from the top of the head, above the eyes, to the tail.

"_That stupid lightning bolt! I don't even have the ruddy scar anymore!"_

Annoyance out of the way, Harry was impressed and a little frightened; he had to admit as the large serpent moved towards him. Its large head got close to his face and Harry could feel its tongue reach and lick his face to get a read on him.

Then it did something surprising and fairly out of character for snakes.

It rubbed the top of its head against Harry's cheek. It was an obvious sign of affection that was more to be expected from a cat, but the snake really seemed to like him.

_Massssster_

Well that was clear. Harry reached up and the snake nuzzled into his head into Harry's palm. Chuckling at his basilisk's antics he started to think of a name and asked the serpent in parseltongue, _"Do you have a name?"_

It just blinked at him. Well, that would have been too easy and the thing was obviously not a good speaker yet.

"_Well, you have markings on your head, so you're a boy. But what to call you? Is Degei alright?" **(Degei is the name of a snake god from Fiji)**  
_

He thought the basilisk understood, because it bobbed it head a little.

"_I've been here long enough already. Let's head home, Degei."_

Harry turned around and started walking back the way he came, expecting the snake to follow him. Instead Degei shot in front of him and started nudging his master back towards the water.

"_What are you doing, boy? We need to get home._

Degei paused and shook his head firmly before resuming his prodding. With a sigh, Harry put his hands up in a show of defeat. He may as well see what the basilisk wanted. Degei kept pushing all the way up to the edge of the pool. Harry looked around, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do. He looked quizzically at his familiar who pointed down where Harry was standing.

The druid stepped back and looked intently at the ground, not seeing anything. Then he saw it. There were slight dips in the rim around the pool. He blew carefully, and dust came pouring out of the openings. Letters seemed to appear as he continued. Whatever it was, it was big because it appeared to go all the way around the basin's edge.

"_It's Irish Gaelic," he thought. "Slytherin wasn't Irish. What's going on here?"_

He sped up his work, his interest peaked. Slowly, he was able to make out the words of the message.

"_Murach siad sin a lorg eolas in éineacht le toil feidhm sé féadfaidh iontráil. Only those who seek knowledge with the will to use it may enter. Alright, Salazar, what next? You wouldn't have gone through this much trouble just to hide a basilisk. A cave would have done that just as well. Hello, what's this?"_

Still on his hands and knees, Harry peered over the edge into the water. The pool had to be maintained by magic, because it was incredibly clear for having been stagnant for centuries. Under the water was a mosaic of a large…raven. What was a raven doing in _Salazar Slytherin's _cave?

Harry stood up and started to pace. This place didn't make sense. He had found Gaelic, statues of women and a raven in there. What could….

"That's it!"

The Morrigan

The Morrigan was the war goddess of Celtic mythology who was represented by a Raven. Legend had it that she was divided into three minor goddesses:

Macha, the goddess of sovereignty and connected with horses

Babd, a goddess who manipulated battle by causing one side to attack its own men. She was normally seen as a raven like the Morrigan herself.

Nemain, who embodied the very spirit of battle and the frenzy of war. She was said to disguise herself as a washerwoman and clean the clothes of a soldier who was to die.

Babd and Nemain were the chaos of war embodied. They caused death and destruction wherever they went because they had to direction, no control. That was where Macha came in. She was sovereignty. She was control, reason and direction. Together…..

_Only those who seek knowledge with the will to use it may enter_

Power, strength, chaos, influence united by will, knowledge and command. It had to be the key.

But what now?

His brow furrowed, Harry walked to the first statue who had to be Macha. It looked like it was made of marble, somewhat like the ancient Greek statues. The attention to detail was fantastic. Carvers used the term 'flesh in stone' to describe the ability to make a statue look human and whoever did the statue was a master. She had an expression that seemed to say that she demanded respect and authority and her elevated height due to being on a horse only added to that. But what was he supposed to do with it?

After staring at the thing for a while, Harry was getting frustrated. He really wanted to get home, but the puzzle was driving him crazy. What was the next step?

With a sigh frustration, Harry leaned back against the statue only for it to slide easily, causing him to fall unceremoniously to the hard stone floor. Muttering in annoyance as he stood up and brushed himself off, he looked over at Degei only to see the snake chuckling at him.

"_Well, if you're not going to help me then shut up."_

Still chuckling, Degei began slithering across the across the ground, flicking his tongue out as he went, obviously looking for something. The snake made its way to the center of room before it stopped on a round piece of stone one the floor. Harry walked over, still rubbing his probably bruised tailbone. Was it really necessary to cast a Featherweight charm on a statue?

"_Alright, what's so important abou-"_

Just as he stepped on to the stone, it gave into the pressure and started sinking.

And that was it

It didn't do anything. What was the point of that if it did nothing? Then he looked over to the statues and saw the bases. They were all round and about the shape of the slab he stepped on. Maybe there was a connection, like in some of Dudley's old video games. It would make sense that wizards thought of it first. Sure enough, there were two other stones just like the first on the other sides of the room. Making use of the featherweight charm on the statues, he pushed all three statues in to place with minimal effort.

Harry took a few steps back, rubbing his hands free from the dust, to better see his work. Nothing was happening. The statues just sat there doing nothing.

Then. out of nowhere, light shot up engulfing the three statues in shining columns. The sound of cracking stone echoed through the chamber, practically deafening Harry. He through his hands up to protect his eyes from the incredible brightness in front of him.

What he saw through the cracks of his fingers astounded him. The stone seemed to gain color and the faces gained life. Stone turned to flesh and clothes. Where there once stood three statues, the three goddesses of war stood before him.

Macha rode forward on her horse, circling Harry while she inspected him. Her eyes seemed to be dissecting him and she passed judgment.

"Young druid, you have the will to rule. I shall not hinder you."

Her tone spoke more than her words, revealing a sense of command that emperor's would envy and quake before. As she rode back to her station, Nemain, clad a poor washer woman with dirty clothes and a queer gleam in her eye came to him. She walked incredibly close to him, running her dirty fingers over his face and body as he struggled not flinch at the sight or horrendous smell of her.

Then, she spoke in a breathy, yet frightening tone, "Oh, dear, how I would _love_ to wash your clothes. But not now. Not yet. It is not your time to pass. You have experienced the insanity of anguish and terror. You have fought wars in your mind since your infancy. You know the frenzy and havoc I bring. I shall not hinder you."

And she slinked away with a ghastly high-pitched reminiscent of every muggle tail about a witch.

Then it was Macha's turn. The woman was clad in a simple, yet beautiful black gown without frills. It matched her midnight black hair perfectly and there was a strange and dark intoxicating quality to her. She walked slowly, not allowing her face to show any emotion whatsoever. It was like she was a funeral.

"_Hmm, a druid are you? Long has it been since any of your kind has walked the earth."_

The voice was smooth as silk and had a melancholy tone to it. However, it did not come from her mouth. Harry looked questioningly at her, but dared not speak yet. She was a goddess as far as he knew. Best not to offend.

"_Hm, confused are we?" _The voice sounded somewhat amused, but with the bitter tone of someone who had suffered a loss. _"Try not to be surprised. I _am _the so-called 'goddess' of chaos, am I not? But that may be a problem. You have not learned my lesson yet. To let you through will cost you."_

A shiver ran down Harry's spine at the mention of a cost.

"What would you have, Babd? I will not promise something before I know what it is."

The voice chuckled, but it was humorless. _"Oh, nothing that will harm you. I promise you that. You see, should we allow you through and you pass the final test, you will gain dominion over this sacred place. You can let me out of here. I will aid you through the commoner. Do you except?"_

"Who is the commoner? I don't-"

"_You're not supposed to yet. I give you my word. I will not harm you or those you love unless it is necessary?_

"You want me to unleash a goddess of war and confusion back into the world? "

Then his head rang with laughter that held no warmth. _"Oh, druid, I believed you wiser than that. My sisters and I were born human, but magical. Not witches, but of no kind at all. We were simply magical like our mother, Morrigan. She died giving birth to us. We were triplets. The magic affected us in different ways. Being orphaned so young in a time that was not kind to our kind forced us to rely on our magic from the start. It grew and shaped us for years until it was integrated into our vary beings. We became…something else. We are not gods, yet I cannot say for certain that we are human. Our minds were changed more than anything. Everyone would obey Macha. Her magic gave her that kind of power. Nemain was given power over men's bloodlust. It drove her mad. She couldn't control it. My gift was similar and I can spark confusion in the minds of others. Whereas Nemain lost control, I took the opposite path. I closed everything down that I did not need to survive. I controlled my gift and myself, but cursed myself to a life of emptiness. With no real direction we simply used our powers at random, assisting different tribes and warriors as we pleased. We developed what you call Occlumency and Legilimency to such extents that that we don't even need to focus any more. You can feel it when you speak with us can't you? You can keep your mind because you know Occlumency, but none did at the time. We were worshipped as goddesses until your predecessors stopped us. Your order was magnificent in its youth. The druids worked to keep peace and order in the magical world and they were very very good. Eventually, we were tracked down and subdued before being made into the guardians of this place. So, no, you will not unleash a goddess, but one who has transformed through magic. Be warned tough, you will encounter more like us in your journeys. You will be thankful for my help when you do. So, young druid, will you accept my offer?"_

"You know, you still haven't said what it is you are guarding, exactly," he said with a clear hint of annoyance in his voice.

"_And you haven't answered my question. I believe that would be a fair trade, would it not, young druid?"_

There was a part of Harry that wanted to just say no and walk away, but he knew he couldn't do that. She had just told him that the druids had to the trouble of binding these three to protect this place. What could possibly be that important? He didn't know, but he had to find out.

"Alright, I swear that I will free you once I return safely from what you are guarding."

Babd's face, which had been blank until now, smirked slightly and her raven flew from her shoulder to Harry's.

"_I am the raven and the raven is me. I will go with you into the chamber and this raven shall follow you home. Enter the Chamber of Secrets, the resting place of all of the knowledge of the druids. Remember, I am the raven and the raven is me."_

"Wait, what does that mean!?!"

But it was too late. She had already turned back into a statue along with her sisters, leaving Harry alone with Degei and the raven. Then the water started moving. The image of the raven that had been on the bottom of the pool began to rise out of the water, creating a bridge of sorts across the pond. As before, the mouth of the statue from which the original basilisk had come, began to open, but something was different. Inside was no longer the tunnel system he had seen in his second year. All he saw was a blue light shooting out of the opening. Walking slowly towards it, Degei came right behind him, intent on following his master into the…whatever it was. He got right up next to it, but he was unable to see through the light.

Damn. Damn. Damn.

Gah! Tonks would kill him for taking such a stupid risk, but he had to know. If it was really all the knowledge of the Druids, it would change everything. His master had known some, but they had not had time for a full apprenticeship. If this was real, Harry would truly become the High Druid with everything that entailed.

Creeping forward, he put his hand through the light, shivering as an electrifying energy shot through him. Taking a deep breath, he shoved himself all the way through, near stumbling on the other side.

He found himself in a well furnished room with plush carpets and clearly expensive furniture. There was even a fire burning. But the druids were all dead. How could is still be burning.

"Hello, Harry."

Harry whirled to his right, looking for the source of the voice. He was staring at a statue. It was of a man, probably in his late forties or fifties of slim build. He was dressed as a lord with long robes that came to floor. On his chin was a narrow and pointy goatee that came down from his chin by one or two inches. Like his long hair that reached to his back, it looked as if it were black, but streaked with silver.

"Who are you? I didn't know statues could be enchanted like this."

The statue chuckled lightly as he looked at Harry.

"Oh, there are great many thing you do not know, young Harry. That is why you are here. My name is Salazar Slytherin and I have been expecting you for quite some time."


	19. Chapter 19

Hey, guys, I'm sorry to say that this is not a new update. There won't be one. I'm cancelling Rescue and putting Makai on hold. In Rescue, there are a lot of things I really liked, but I didn't develop my characters enough. I just can't do as much meaningful things with them because of it. Makai was better, but I've hit a roadblock with that one. Hopefully, working on a new story will get the juices flowing again. If someone wants to pick either of these stories up, go ahead and ask. I'm really sorry but this is the way it is.

My new story will be a crossover between Harry Potter and the Addams family. It is an odd concept but it has been driving me nuts not writing it. The Harry in this story will be slightly insane and will be paired with Wednesday Addams. Expect life, love, hate, death, insanity and frightening reality with some acromantulas thrown in for good measure. I hope some of you will not hate me now and read the thing.

Please don't flame me. This is hard enough for me already. I hate wasted work.


	20. Chapter 20

Well, this will be the last update on this story from me. But Magikmaster02 has adopted the story so I encourage you go check it out. Than you guys.

OH, I published the first chapter of my new story, so go check it out. It's a little short, but it's more of a prologue. Thanks.


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